The Cambridge Companion to Debussy

by Simon Trezise (Editor)

Overview

Often considered the father of twentieth-century music, Debussy was a visionary whose influence is still felt. This book offers a wide-ranging series of essays on Debussy the man, the musician and composer. It contains insights into his character, his relationship to his Parisian environment and his musical works across all genres, with challenging views on the roles of nature and eroticism in his life and music. His music is considered through the characteristic themes of sonority, rhythm, tonality and form, with closing chapters considering the performance and reception of his music in the first years of the new century and our view of Debussy today as a major force in Western culture. This comprehensive view of Debussy is written by a team of specialists for students and informed music lovers.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781139816076
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	06/19/2003
Series:	Cambridge Companions to Music
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	28 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Simon Trezise is a Lecturer in Music at Trinity College, Dublin. He is the author of Debussy : La mer in the series Cambridge Music Handbooks and has written widely on French music and also on Schoenberg.

Table of Contents

List of contributors; Acknowledgements; Chronology of Debussy's life and works; Note on the text; Introduction Simon Trezise; Part I. Man, Musician and Culture: 1. Debussy the man Robert Orledge; 2. Debussy's Parisian affiliations Barbara L. Kelly; 3. Debussy as musician and critic Deirdre Donnellon; Part II. Musical Explorations: 4. Debussy on stage David Grayson; 5. The prosaic Debussy Roger Nichols; 6. Debussy and expression Nigel Simeone; 7. Exploring the erotic in Debussy's music Julie McQuinn; 8. Debussy and nature Caroline Potter; Part III. Musical Techniques: 9. Debussy's tonality: a formal perspective Boyd Pomeroy; 10. The Debussy sound: colour, texture, gesture Mark DeVoto; 11. Music's inner dance: form, pacing and complexity in Debussy's music Richard S. Parks; 12. Debussy's 'rhythmicised time' Simon Trezise; Part IV. Performance and Assessment: 13. Debussy in performance Charles Timbrell; 14. Debussy now Arnold Whittall; Notes; Select bibliography; Index.

Editorial Reviews

"...offers something for Debussy enthusiasts old and new. Beyond this, the wide range of cultural and analytical topics, and their relevance to twentieth-century music history generally, should attract the attention of a wide audience." NOTES

"For those who have been enchanted and intrigued by Debussy's music, this book will only deepen their fascination with his work." Music Educators Journal, Doug Martin

From the Publisher