Great choices - I don't think I would change anything. Except maybe for my soft spot for his early romantic piano works - his Arabesques and the Suite Bergamasque.
Even though it's an over-familiar title, Prelude à l'àpres-midi d'un faun itself is, IMO, impossible to over-play. I'm always shocked to be reminded it lasts only 10 minutes, but it has so much that is unexpected, strange, and ineffable, it always strikes me as a miracle. For me, it's unmatched in Debussy's orchestral music.
For Claire de Lune, I think it is also worth looking up Stokowski's orchestral arrangement for it. He licensed it to Disney for a planned sequel to Fantasia, and the animation was just about completed when the stresses of the war (and Fantasia's already not quite making a profit due to the expenses of the road show experience). They eventually took the animation and put a new piece, Blue Bayou (no relation to the Linda Rondstat song) for one of the mid-40s "package films". The original score recording was applied to the finished animation for the DVD and BluRay editions of Fantasia(+2000).
Great suggestions. His reputation seems to rest on a surprisingly small number of works, so anyone who hasn’t heard him can get a really good sense of him from, say, 4-5 cds. His opera isn’t really difficult to listen to, but, yes, not for an initial encounter.
Apparently Debussy disliked the term "impressionism" applied to his music. In art, he preferred Medieval painting, Ingrés (of all people), and Japanese prints.
As far as fawn v faun goes, it’s way too late for me to imagine anything but a young deer. Claire de Lune got me into Debussy early on. It’s so beautiful!
I love La Mer, and much of Debussy’s work for that matter. Some of this list I don’t know but will be seeking out sooner rather than later. One piece I find very evocative of the sea, beneath the sea to be more precise is of course Holst’s Neptune. I think that even without knowing the title one cannot help but to visualise the sea god with his trident surrounded by creatures of the sea, the whole scene bathing in glorious submarine rays of sunlight. As ever, thank you so much for sharing these great pieces!
Not to be a dick, but you do realize that Holst's Neptune is the outer planet? I believe he said he was thinking in astrological terms not mythos terms. But, hey. If thinking it's an evocation of the sea works for, rock on. Don't let me get in your way.
@@brianthomas2434 My, my... Why such gratuitous, unwarranted aggression? You must feel very threatened! First of all, don’t worry, you’re not getting in my way 😂 Secondly, do you know there is a difference between astronomy and astrology? (hint: you may want to reread your post). Thirdly, do you realise that the planet was named after the mythical god? And now you know that, do you think there might be a reason for that? And last but certainly not least, I’m not sure you’ll understand the quote but do hope you’ll enjoy it anyway: "Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and to remove all doubt."
@@fyvewytchesthreatened? By someone who hears something I don't hear? That would be weird. As for aggression, I don't hold a candle to you. Of course I know the difference between Astronomy and Astrology. So did Holst. His stated objective was to mirror the ASTROLOGICAL significance of the Planets, which is why the final movement is "Neptune, the Mystic " not "Neptune, lord of the Sea". Still as I said, you hear what you hear. I eagerly await your next insult.
Great choices - I don't think I would change anything. Except maybe for my soft spot for his early romantic piano works - his Arabesques and the Suite Bergamasque.
Even though it's an over-familiar title, Prelude à l'àpres-midi d'un faun itself is, IMO, impossible to over-play. I'm always shocked to be reminded it lasts only 10 minutes, but it has so much that is unexpected, strange, and ineffable, it always strikes me as a miracle. For me, it's unmatched in Debussy's orchestral music.
For Claire de Lune, I think it is also worth looking up Stokowski's orchestral arrangement for it. He licensed it to Disney for a planned sequel to Fantasia, and the animation was just about completed when the stresses of the war (and Fantasia's already not quite making a profit due to the expenses of the road show experience). They eventually took the animation and put a new piece, Blue Bayou (no relation to the Linda Rondstat song) for one of the mid-40s "package films".
The original score recording was applied to the finished animation for the DVD and BluRay editions of Fantasia(+2000).
Dave has clearly overanalyzed this "Perfumes of the Night" thing, and I love it! 🤣
I think Debussy was thinking of the night-blooming jasmine not the pits!
Great suggestions. His reputation seems to rest on a surprisingly small number of works, so anyone who hasn’t heard him can get a really good sense of him from, say, 4-5 cds. His opera isn’t really difficult to listen to, but, yes, not for an initial encounter.
Apparently Debussy disliked the term "impressionism" applied to his music. In art, he preferred Medieval painting, Ingrés (of all people), and Japanese prints.
I love 20th century Japanese art & gamelan music.
As far as fawn v faun goes, it’s way too late for me to imagine anything but a young deer. Claire de Lune got me into Debussy early on. It’s so beautiful!
Wasn't it Satie who made that 11:45 quip?
Reminds me of when Rossini said, “Wagner has beautiful moments and bad quarters of an hour.”
@richfarmer3478 - Yep. At the premiere of "La mer' Satie told Debussy that he liked all of it, but especially the bit around a quarter to eleven.
I love La Mer, and much of Debussy’s work for that matter. Some of this list I don’t know but will be seeking out sooner rather than later. One piece I find very evocative of the sea, beneath the sea to be more precise is of course Holst’s Neptune. I think that even without knowing the title one cannot help but to visualise the sea god with his trident surrounded by creatures of the sea, the whole scene bathing in glorious submarine rays of sunlight. As ever, thank you so much for sharing these great pieces!
Not to be a dick, but you do realize that Holst's Neptune is the outer planet? I believe he said he was thinking in astrological terms not mythos terms.
But, hey. If thinking it's an evocation of the sea works for, rock on. Don't let me get in your way.
@@brianthomas2434 My, my... Why such gratuitous, unwarranted aggression? You must feel very threatened!
First of all, don’t worry, you’re not getting in my way 😂
Secondly, do you know there is a difference between astronomy and astrology? (hint: you may want to reread your post).
Thirdly, do you realise that the planet was named after the mythical god? And now you know that, do you think there might be a reason for that?
And last but certainly not least, I’m not sure you’ll understand the quote but do hope you’ll enjoy it anyway: "Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and to remove all doubt."
Indeed, good for you @@fyvewytches
@@fyvewytchesthreatened? By someone who hears something I don't hear? That would be weird. As for aggression, I don't hold a candle to you.
Of course I know the difference between Astronomy and Astrology. So did Holst. His stated objective was to mirror the ASTROLOGICAL significance of the Planets, which is why the final movement is "Neptune, the Mystic " not "Neptune, lord of the Sea".
Still as I said, you hear what you hear.
I eagerly await your next insult.
Wonderful suggestions, but was eating my dinner when you shared your family trip to France 🤮 Thanks 👍
Sorry!