Debussy on music: The critical writings of the great French composer Claude Debussy

by Claude Debussy

English, French (translation)

Genres: Music

353 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 1977

About the author

Claude-Achille Debussy (22 August 1862 – 25 March 1918) was a French composer. Along with Maurice Ravel, he was one of the most prominent figures associated with Impressionist music, though he himself disliked the term when applied to his compositions. He was made Chevalier of the Legion of Honour in his native France in 1903. Debussy was among the most influential composers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and his use of non-traditional scales and chromaticism influenced many composers who followed.

Debussy's music is noted for its sensory content and frequent usage of non-traditional tonalities. The prominent French literary style of his period was known as Symbolism, and this movement directly inspired Debussy both as a composer and as an active cultural participant.

Reviews

[B. P. Rinehart · Rating 4 out of 5]

August 22, 2018: Today is the 156th birthday of Claude Debussy. I thought back to this book and this review of it. I am amazed at how I went about...."critiquing" in my early years on this site. I would be unable to let myself write something like this today, but it is funny to see how I was at analyzing books back then.

From 2012:
I think it was no question that I would have to read this book. I first stumbled on a library copy of it in my 1st year of college and was shocked to even know that Claude Debussy had any written work. By this time he had became my favorite Classical composer and I was looking forward to reading the words of this man.

The book itself is made up of reviews that Debussy did of different concerts and music compositions, as well as different opinions he had about the state of (classical) music and artists at the time. Sort of like a late 19th-early 20th century blog.

Now getting that out the way just let me say...DAMN WAS HE A SNARKER! No doubt was he a musical genius but at the same time he did not let up on anyone he thought was wrong or who rubbed him the wrong way (this would eventually get him in trouble and earn him an enemy in Camille Saint-Saens whose operas Debussy detested greatly). He was also very funny and sometimes truly Oscar Wilde-worthy in his wit. I did enjoy and was interested in his insight on different artist of the time and to see his opinions on accomplished composers like Bach, Beethoven, Grieg, Rimsky-Korsakov, Jean Rammeau, and Richard Wagner (who's legacy he had a...let's say complex (complicated?) relationship with), among others and how he really painted a picture of the music scene around (Paris) France at the turn of the century.

I would recommend this for any fans of Claude Debussy, Classical music (particularly of the Romantic/Impressionist era) or even someone with in interest in turn of the (20th) century France.

[Emmie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars not because the book is worth 3 stars, but b/c it's super interesting to hear Debussy's writing voice after years of hearing only his music. He's different than what I'd expected - critical and a little dark.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Debussy must have been a man after my own heart. His criticisms of the academies of his day and the music that poured forth with and withal are always tempered by an inner confidence that what his own contributions were were of a sum value, better than much of what was available. The edifice of "the classics" is often built upon a foundation of petard, but Claude cuts the merde. And while I despise critics in general (if they could do it, they'd be doing it, rather than writing about it) that Debussy was, in fact, 'doing it" adds all the more value to his opinions. This is one to read over and over again (Maybe my third time through it, already!)