Achille Claude Debussy

A Dollop About Debussy

Claude Debussy was born into a family with little involvement in music but even so by the time Debussy was only 10 years old he was admitted into the Paris Conservatory where he would stay for 11 years. Although he was a fine pianist and won many awards during his time as a piano student was cut short and he turned his attention to composition. While at the Paris Conservatory Debussy didn't receive much praise for his compositions and would receive disapproving commentary from his own teachers. Nevertheless, Debussy would go on to win the Prix de Rome, one of the most prestigious awards for composers. Debussy's style continued to evolve with influences of the composer Richard Wagner seeping into Debussy's compositions. Debussy's seminal work Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune marked a shift in Debussy's compositional style, no longer did Debussy rely on the "traditional" sounds and harmonies that came before, rather Debussy experimented with what we call non-functional harmony, harmony that has no relationship to the harmony that precedes it.  Debussy left behind a large amount of compositions ranging from solo to chamber music to large orchestral tone poems. His most famous piano works include Clair de Lune, La fille aux cheveux de lin, and his 24 Preludes pour le Piano. Debussy's music influenced a wide variety of composers such as Oliver Messiaen, Béla Bartok, and even the Jazz Pianist/composer Bill Evans!