This week Dr. Tobin discusses possible literary inspirations for one of Debussy’s stormiest pieces!
Tag: debussy
Dr. Tobin discusses whole tone and black and white key combinations in the last Book II Prelude, Feux d’artifice, that promote a new means of progression and musical language. Fireworks is a culmination of the Preludes, recalls What the West Wind Saw, and paves the way for Debussy’s Etudes. The discussion endds with a live performance of Feux d’artifice in Wetzikon, Switzerland.
Based on a story by Baron Friedrich de la Motte Foch, Ondine recalls the mythical half-mermaid creatures “Undine’s” and Debussy’s interest in the supernatural and fairy tales.
Dr. Tobin refers to his thesis about Debussy Preludes where he mentions Ondine, it can be downloaded as a PDF.
Dr. Tobin ends the discussion with a performance on Debussy’s Bluethner piano, in Brive la-Gaillarde, France.
This week Dr. Tobin discusses this supernatural Prelude from Book II.
He shows the illustration which inspired it, Arthur Rackham’s illustration of the Fairies from “Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens” by J.M Barrie, which we have in the collection of Adams Music House!
Dr. Tobin avoids being too technical for too long, and concludes this post with a performance of The Fairies Are Exquisite Dancers on the piano Debussy composed it on, his Bluethner in Brive la-Gaillarde, a charming Medieval town in Central France.
This week Dr. Tobin discusses Claude Debussy’s Book I Prelude Engulfed or “Sunken Cathedral”. It is based on the legend of the sunken town of Y off the Breton French Coast. Dr. Tobin discusses how Debussy paints the image of a sunken cathedral that rises from the depths of the sea. After the discussion, he includes are recording he made on the piano Debussy composed it on, the Bluethner in Brive la-Gaillarde, France. For further contrast, Dr. Tobin includes a video he made at Mont St Michel on the coast of Normandie and a recording made on a Steinway Model A piano in Wetizkon, Switzerland.
