The other day I heard, on Radio 3, a rather lovely orchestral arrangement of his La Cathédrale Engloutie, a brilliant 'impressionistic' Prelude written for solo piano. How would Debussy himself, a fine pianist, have played the piece? Happily, thanks to the wonders of piano roll technology (a subject I've mentioned before), we have a pretty good idea. Enjoy...
Tuesday, 22 August 2017
Debussy Plays Debussy
The great composer Claude Debussy was born on this day in 1862.
The other day I heard, on Radio 3, a rather lovely orchestral arrangement of his La Cathédrale Engloutie, a brilliant 'impressionistic' Prelude written for solo piano. How would Debussy himself, a fine pianist, have played the piece? Happily, thanks to the wonders of piano roll technology (a subject I've mentioned before), we have a pretty good idea. Enjoy...
The other day I heard, on Radio 3, a rather lovely orchestral arrangement of his La Cathédrale Engloutie, a brilliant 'impressionistic' Prelude written for solo piano. How would Debussy himself, a fine pianist, have played the piece? Happily, thanks to the wonders of piano roll technology (a subject I've mentioned before), we have a pretty good idea. Enjoy...
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I'm keen on his Clare the Loon, but the connection with insanity isn't easy to figure out; it's a real nice tune though.
ReplyDeleteYes, rather wonderful that Nige. Unable to detect proof of Alfredo Casella's remark that Debussy's playing "gave the impression of playing directly on the strings..the effect was a miracle of poetry"
ReplyDeleteCan I add that if your readers are to make jokes at the expense of this undoubted genius, we could suggest that the quality bar be raised a couple of notches?
Or just lower the tone of the snootiness.
ReplyDeleteCome come - all tones welcomed here, high, low and lower!
ReplyDeleteI imagine, MM, that with Debussy's playing, as with so much else, you had to be there...