biography |
Debussy
(1862-1918) is arguably the most visual and literary of composers.
His music is the aural equivalent of the works of Impressionists
such as Manet and Mallarmé. And like them, under the deceptive
pastel shadings, Debussy explores arresting new tonalities and levitating
harmonies. Here are his essential recordings. |
recommended
recordings |
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Debussy:
Images, etc / Boulez, Cleveland Orchestra |
Composer:
Claude
Debussy
Conductor: Pierre
Boulez
Ensemble: Cleveland
Orchestra
Uni/Deutsche Grammophon - #35766 / February 16, 1993
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Pierre Boulez recorded all of Debussy's major orchestral works
for Sony, and those generally excellent performances are still
available at mid-price. Like so many conductors Boulez has
mellowed somewhat with age--and unlike most conductors, he
is the first to admit it. His earlier performances were characterized
by an analytical clarity that some found fascinating and uniquely
compelling, and which left others cold. These new versions
preserve the precision of his earlier ones, but find room
for...Read
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Debussy:
Images 1 & 2, Children's Corner / Michelangeli |
Composer:
Claude
Debussy
Performer: Arturo
Benedetti Michelangeli
Uni/Deutsche Grammophon - #15372 / July 7, 1987
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This album, originally released about 1973, is one of the
most beautiful I have ever heard. Twenty five years later
I still cannot believe that one man with ten fingers could
produce the sounds Michelangeli coaxes and caresses from the
keyboard. The blending of techinique and emotion is so balanced
and seamless it's as if he becomes one with the piano and
the music. "Reflections in the Water" and "Poissons
D'Or" shimmer and the climax in "Movement"
will raise the hair on the back of your neck. "Homage
a Rameau" is stunning as Michelangeli builds and layers
sonorities. "Children's Corner" is given a warm
and lovely interpretation, with "The Snow Is Dancing"
a particular highlight. Whenever I hear it I am all of a sudden
catching snowflakes on my tongue in a perfect winter wonderland.
The recording is flawless and the transfer to CD retains all
the warmth and excitement of the original. |
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Debussy:
Clair de Lune, etc / Philippe Entremont |
Composer:
Claude
Debussy
Performer: Philippe
Entremont
Sony Classics - #48174 / June 2, 1992
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here for more information |
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Philippe Entremont was really taken for granted as a pianist,
both in the U.S. and in his native France. A favorite with
Eugene Ormandy and the Philadelphia Orchestra, and a staple
pianist of the 1960s Columbia catalogue, Entremont displayed
many of the finer points of the French school: precision,
proportion, tight rhythm, and a colorful touch. This Debussy
collection, a real bargain at budget price, features all of
his strengths, in music which belongs in every piano-music
collection. His...Read
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Debussy:
Pelleas & Melisande / Desormiere, Joachim, et al
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Composer:
Claude
Debussy
Conductor: Roger
Desormire
Performer: Leila
Ben Sedira, Paul
Cabanel, et al.
Ensemble: Symphony
Orchestra, Yvonne
GouvernŽ Chorus
Grammofono 2000 (Ita) - #78727 / July 22, 1997
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here for more information |
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Even seasoned operaphiles may not have heard of anybody on
this recording. Made in wartime France, this first, complete
Pelléas et Mélisande captures brief,
shining moments among performers whose postwar careers were
limited (conductor Roger Desormière, for one, had a
stroke in the early 1950s). Yet anyone who loves the opera
must have this recording, which has an unmistakable radiance.
Heard in sound quality remarkably good for the 1950s, these
performers--including...Read
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Debussy:
The Complete Works for Piano / Walter Gieseking
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Composer:
Claude
Debussy
Conductor: Kurt
Schršder
Performer: Walter
Gieseking
Ensemble: Hessian
Radio Orchestra Frankfurt
Emd/Emi Classics - #65855 / January 21, 1997
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here for more information |
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These classic performances belong in the collection of anyone
who cares about Debussy's piano music. Walter Gieseking's
career was a troubled one--his pandering to the Nazi party
cast a shadow over his last years, but the greatest irony
of all was that this German nationalist turned out to be the
greatest exponent of French music of his era. His Debussy
playing marries an effortlessly subtle control of the keyboard
to a real sense of fantasy. The music truly shimmers in his
hands, and despite...Read
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works
& recordings |
- Aimons
nous et dormons
- Andante
for Piano 4 hands
- Apparition
- Arabesques
(2) for Piano
- Arabesques
(2) for Piano: Excerpt(s)
- Arabesques
(2) for Piano: no 1 in E major, Andante con moto
- Arabesques
(2) for Piano: no 2 in G major, Allegretto scherzando
- Ariettes
oubliées
- Ariettes
oubliées: no 1, C'est l'extase
- Ariettes
oubliées: no 2, Il pleure dans mon coeur
- Ariettes
oubliées: no 3, L'ombre des arbres
- Ariettes
oubliées: no 4, Chevaux de bois
- Ariettes
oubliées: no 5, Green
- Ariettes
oubliées: no 6, Spleen
- Ballade
slave
- Ballades
(3) de François Villon
- Ballades
(3) de François Villon: no 2, Ballade que Villon feit à
la requeste de sa mère
- Ballades
(3) de François Villon: no 3, Ballade des femmes de Paris
- Ballet(s):
Excerpt(s)
- Beau
soir
- Berceuse
hero•que
- Caprice
- Chanson
espagnole
- Chansons
(3)
- Chansons
(3) de Bilitis
- Chansons
(3) de Bilitis: no 1, La flûte de Pan
- Chansons
(3) de Bilitis: no 2, La chevelure
- Chansons
(3) de Bilitis: no 3, Le tombeau des na•des
- Chansons
(3) de Charles d'Orléans
- Chansons
(3) de Charles d'Orléans: no 1, Dieu! qu'il la fait bon
regarder
- Chansons
(3) de Charles d'Orléans: no 2, Quand j'ai ouy...
- Chansons
(3) de Charles d'Orléans: no 3, Yver, vous n'estes
- Chansons
(3) de France
- Chansons
de Bilitis for Speaker and Chamber Ensemble
- Chansons
de Bilitis for Speaker and Chamber Ensemble: Excerpt(s)
- Children's
Corner
- Children's
Corner: Excerpt(s)
- Children's
Corner: no 1, Doctor Gradus ad Parnassum
- Children's
Corner: no 2, Jimbo's Lullaby
- Children's
Corner: no 3, Serenade for the Doll
- Children's
Corner: no 4, The Snow is Dancing
- Children's
Corner: no 5, The Little Shepherd
- Children's
Corner: no 6, Golliwogg's Cake-walk
- Clair
de lune
- Coquetterie
posthume
- D'un
cahier d'esquisses
- Dans
le jardin
- Danse
- Danse
bohémienne
- Danse
sacrée et danse profane
- Danse
sacrée et danse profane: Danse profane
- Danse
sacrée et danse profane: Danse sacrée
- Deux
romances
- Deux
romances: no 1, L'âme évaporée
- Deux
romances: no 2, Les cloches
- Diane
au Bois: Overture
- Divertissement
for Piano 4 hands
- Elégie
- En
blanc et noir
- En
sourdine
- Epigraphes
antiques (6)
- Epigraphes
antiques (6): no 1, Pour invoquer Pan
- Estampes
(3) for Piano
- Estampes
(3) for Piano: Excerpt(s)
- Estampes
(3) for Piano: no 1, Pagodes
- Estampes
(3) for Piano: no 2, La soirée dans Grenade
- Estampes
(3) for Piano: no 3, Jardins sous la pluie
- Etude
retrouvée
- Etudes
(12) for Piano
- Etudes
(12) for Piano, Book 1
- Etudes
(12) for Piano, Book 1: no 1, Pour les cinq doigts
- Etudes
(12) for Piano, Book 1: no 3, Pour les quartes
- Etudes
(12) for Piano, Book 1: no 4, Pour les sixtes
- Etudes
(12) for Piano, Book 1: no 5, Pour les octaves
- Etudes
(12) for Piano, Book 1: no 6, Pour les huits doigts
- Etudes
(12) for Piano, Book 2
- Etudes
(12) for Piano, Book 2: no 10, Pour les sonorités opposées
- Etudes
(12) for Piano, Book 2: no 11, Pour les arpèges composées
- Etudes
(12) for Piano, Book 2: no 12, Pour les accords
- Etudes
(12) for Piano, Book 2: no 7, Pour les degrés chromatiques
- Etudes
(12) for Piano, Book 2: no 8, Pour les agréments
- Etudes
(12) for Piano, Book 2: no 9, Pour les notes répétées
- Fantasie
for Piano and Orchestra
- Fantasie
for Piano and Orchestra: Lento e molto espressivo
- Fantoches
- Fleur
des blés
- Fêtes
galantes, Set 1
- Fêtes
galantes, Set 1: no 1, En sourdine
- Fêtes
galantes, Set 1: no 2, Fantoches
- Fêtes
galantes, Set 1: no 3, Clair de lune
- Fêtes
galantes, Set 2
- Fêtes
galantes, Set 2: no 1, Les ingénus
- Fêtes
galantes, Set 2: no 2, La faune
- Fêtes
galantes, Set 2: no 3, Colloque sentimental
- Hommage
à Haydn
- Images
for Orchestra
- Images
for Orchestra: no 1, Gigues
- Images
for Orchestra: no 2, Ibéria
- Images
for Orchestra: no 2, Ibéria - Le matin d'un jour de fête
- Images
for Orchestra: no 2, Ibéria - Les parfums de la nuit
- Images
for Orchestra: no 3, Rondes de printemps
- Images
for Piano, Set 1
- Images
for Piano, Set 1: no 1, Reflets dans l'eau
- Images
for Piano, Set 1: no 2, Hommage à Rameau
- Images
for Piano, Set 1: no 3, Mouvement
- Images
for Piano, Set 2
- Images
for Piano, Set 2: no 1, Cloches à travers les feuilles
- Images
for Piano, Set 2: no 2, Et la lune descend sur le temple qui
fût
- Images
for Piano, Set 2: no 3, Poissons d'or
- Images
for Piano: Excerpt(s)
- Images
oubliées
- Images
oubliées: no 1, Lent
- Images
oubliées: no 2, Sarabande
- Images
oubliées: no 3, Très vite
- Intermezzo
for Cello and Orchestra
- Invocation
- Jane
- Jeux
- Khamma
- L'enfant
prodigue
- L'enfant
prodigue: Azaël! Azaël! Pourquoi m'as tu quittée?
- L'enfant
prodigue: Cortège et Air de danse
- L'enfant
prodigue: L'année en vain
- L'enfant
prodigue: Prélude
- L'isle
joyeuse
- La
belle au bois dormant
- La
boîte à joujoux
- La
boîte à joujoux: Valsette
- La
damoiselle élue
- La
damoiselle élue: Prelude
- La
fille aux cheveux de lin
- La
mer
- La
mer: 1st movement, De l'aube à midi sur la mer
- La
mer: 1st movement, De l'aube à midi sur la mer: Excerpt(s)
- La
mer: 2nd movement, Jeux de vagues
- La
mer: Excerpt(s)
- La
plus que lente
- La
romance d'Ariel
- Le
martyre de St Sébastien
- Le
martyre de St Sébastien symphonic fragments
- Le
martyre de St Sébastien symphonic fragments: Danse extatique
- Le
martyre de St Sébastien symphonic fragments: La Cour
de Lys
- Le
martyre de St Sébastien symphonic fragments: La Passion
- Le
martyre de St Sébastien symphonic fragments: Le Bon Pasteur
- Le
martyre de St Sébastien symphonic fragments: Le concile
des faux dieux - Prelude
- Le
petit berger
- Le
petit nègre
- Le
printemps
- Le
promenoir des deux amants
- Le
roi Lear
- Le
roi Lear: La rêve
- Les
angélus
- Lindaraja
- Love's
Sorrow
- Mandoline
- Marche
écossaise sur un thème populaire
- Masques
- Mazurka
for Piano
- Morceau
de concours
- Musique
- Mélodies
(3) de Verlaine
- Mélodies
(3) de Verlaine: no 2, Le son du cor s'afflige
- Mélodies
(3) de Verlaine: no 3, L'échelonnement des haies
- Nocturne
and Scherzo for Cello and Piano
- Nocturne
for Piano in D flat major
- Nocturnes
(3) for Orchestra
- Nocturnes
(3) for Orchestra: Excerpt(s)
- Nocturnes
(3) for Orchestra: no 1, Nuages
- Nocturnes
(3) for Orchestra: no 2, Fêtes
- Nocturnes
(3) for Orchestra: no 2, Fêtes - Excerpt(s)
- Nocturnes
(3) for Orchestra: no 3, Sirènes
- Noël
des enfants que n'ont plus de maison
- Nuit
d'étoiles
- Page
d'album
- Pantomime
- Paysage
sentimental
- Pelléas
et Mélisande
- Pelléas
et Mélisande: Aria(s)
- Pelléas
et Mélisande: Excerpt(s)
- Pelléas
et Mélisande: Interlude(s)
- Pelléas
et Mélisande: Mes longs chevaux
- Pelléas
et Mélisande: Prelude(s)
- Pelléas
et Mélisande: Quel est ce bruit? On ferme les portes
- Pelléas
et Mélisande: Voici ce qu'il écrit à son
frère
- Petite
pièce for Clarinet and Piano
- Petite
suite for Piano 4 hands
- Petite
suite for Piano 4 hands: no 1, En bateau
- Petite
suite for Piano 4 hands: no 2, Cortège
- Petite
suite for Piano 4 hands: no 3, Menuet
- Petite
suite for Piano 4 hands: no 4, Ballet
- Pierrot
- Poèmes
(3) de Mallarmé
- Poèmes
(5) de Baudelaire
- Poèmes
(5) de Baudelaire: no 1, Le balcon
- Poèmes
(5) de Baudelaire: no 2, Harmonie du soir
- Poèmes
(5) de Baudelaire: no 3, Le jet d'eau
- Poèmes
(5) de Baudelaire: no 4, Recueillement
- Poèmes
(5) de Baudelaire: no 5, La mort des amants
- Poèmes
(7) de Banville
- Poèmes
(7) de Banville: no 1, Rêverie
- Première
Rhapsodie for Clarinet and Orchestra
- Première
Rhapsodie for Clarinet and Piano
- Printemps
- Printemps:
1st movement, Très modéré
- Proses
lyriques
- Proses
lyriques: no 1, De rêve
- Proses
lyriques: no 2, De grève
- Proses
lyriques: no 3, De fleurs
- Proses
lyriques: no 4, De soir
- Prélude
à l'après-midi d'un faune
- Prélude
à l'après-midi d'un faune: Excerpt(s)
- Préludes,
Book 1
- Préludes,
Book 1: Excerpt(s)
- Préludes,
Book 1: no 1, Danseuses de Delphes
- Préludes,
Book 1: no 10, La cathédrale engloutie
- Préludes,
Book 1: no 11, La danse de Puck
- Préludes,
Book 1: no 12, Minstrels
- Préludes,
Book 1: no 2, Voiles
- Préludes,
Book 1: no 3, Le vent dans la plaine
- Préludes,
Book 1: no 4, Les sons et les parfums tournent dans l'air du
soir
- Préludes,
Book 1: no 5, Les collines d'Anacapri
- Préludes,
Book 1: no 6, Des pas sur la neige
- Préludes,
Book 1: no 7, Ce qu'a vu le vent d'ouest
- Préludes,
Book 1: no 8, La fille aux cheveux de lin
- Préludes,
Book 1: no 9, La sérénade interrompue
- Préludes,
Book 2
- Préludes,
Book 2: Excerpt(s)
- Préludes,
Book 2: no 1, Broulliards
- Préludes,
Book 2: no 10, Canope
- Préludes,
Book 2: no 11, Les tierces alternées
- Préludes,
Book 2: no 12, Feux d'artifice
- Préludes,
Book 2: no 2, Feuilles mortes
- Préludes,
Book 2: no 3, La puerta del vino
- Préludes,
Book 2: no 4, Les fées sont d'exquises danseuses
- Préludes,
Book 2: no 5, Bruyères
- Préludes,
Book 2: no 6, General Lavine - excentric
- Préludes,
Book 2: no 7, La terrasse des audiences du clair de lune
- Préludes,
Book 2: no 8, Ondine
- Préludes,
Book 2: no 9, Hommage à S Pickwick Esq P.P.M.P.C.
- Préludes:
Excerpt(s)
- Quartet
for Strings in G minor, Op. 10
- Quartet
for Strings in G minor, Op. 10: Andantino doucement expressif
- Quartet
for Strings in G minor, Op. 10: Animé et très décidé
- Quartet
for Strings in G minor, Op. 10: Assez vif et bien rythmé
- Regret:
Devant le ciel
- Rhapsodie
for English Horn
- Rhapsodie
for Saxophone and Orchestra
- Rhapsodie
for Saxophone and Piano
- Rodrigue
et Chimène
- Romance:
Silence ineffable
- Romance:
Voici que le printemps
- Rondeau
"Fut-il jamais"
- Rondel
chinois
- Rêverie
- Sonata
for Cello and Piano
- Sonata
for Cello and Piano : Finale
- Sonata
for Flute, Viola and Harp
- Sonata
for Flute, Viola and Harp: 2nd movement, Interlude
- Sonata
for Violin and Piano in G minor
- Suite
bergamasque
- Suite
bergamasque: 1st movement, Prélude
- Suite
bergamasque: 2nd movement, Menuet
- Suite
bergamasque: 3rd movement, Clair de Lune
- Suite
bergamasque: 3rd movement, Clair de Lune - Excerpt(s)
- Suite
bergamasque: 4th movement, Passepied
- Suite
for Piano "Pour le piano"
- Suite
for Piano "Pour le piano": no 1, Prélude
- Suite
for Piano "Pour le piano": no 2, Sarabande
- Suite
for Piano "Pour le piano": no 3, Toccata
- Symphony
in B minor
- Syrinx
- Tarantelle
styrienne
- Trio
for Piano and Strings in G major
- Trio
for Piano and Strings in G major: Appassionato
- Triomphe
de Bacchus: Allegro
- Triomphe
de Bacchus: Andante
- Triomphe
de Bacchus: Marche et Bacchanale
- Valse
romantique
- Zéphyr
(Triolet à Philis)
- Ariettes
oubliées: Excerpt(s)
- Epigraphes
antiques (6): no 5, Pour l'ƒgyptienne
- Fêtes
galantes: Excerpt(s)
- L'Archet
- L'enfant
prodigue: Air de danse
- Le
promenoir des deux amants: no 3, Je tremble en voyant ton visage
- Nuits
blanches
- On
entend un chant sur l'eau
- Romance
- Suite
bergamasque: Prelude
Complete
List of Works and Recordings
|
resources |
Debussy, Claude - Featuring Biography, Works, Picture Gallery and more
Claude
Debussy - Includes biography, bibliography, MIDI music,
glossary, opus list and images.
Claude
Debussy - Biography, work list, bibliography, WAV and
MP3 files.
Debussy
Works List - Database.
Classical
Net - Basic Repertoire List - Debussy - Select discography.
Musical
Impressions: Claude Debussy - Includes biography, works
list, music for download, images and links.
Claude
Debussy and Impressionism - brief biography; list of major
works, description of his compositional techniques.
Claude
Debussy (Heart's Ease) - Brief biography, key works and
resources.
Claude
Debussy Page - MIDI files.
Search
for "Debussy, Claude" on
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