Debussy, pentatonicism, and the tonal tradition jeremy dayoconnell this article presents a historical and analytical assessment of one of the important components of debussys musical style. But for this piece, to make sense, weve got to meet a new scale that debussy employs here. One of its significant characteristics is the way in which debussy treats tonality. Finally, although in voiles the contrast and similarity between the two modesboth with. About the melodic and harmonic organization of debussys.
Debussy preludes the student must look for the book the piano works of claude debsusy, by e. Analysis debussy voiles claude debussy elements of. Nontraditional scales extended harmony traditional chords used in nontraditional context harmonic color tonal ambiguity. Harmonic tonality 4 chapter ii scales, modes and chords. Im currently in the early stages of posting a series of articles through my music blog on the process of analysis of the debussy piece arabesque no. The excerpt in figure l is the main melody of voiles as it opens the piece and constantly reappears throughout the piece as a repetitive motif. It is a very descriptive book where all the formal, structural, harmonic and contextual analysis of the work can be found. Debussy threw out wagners harmonic glue, allowing more options for harmonic movement. The debussy prelude voiles, which i have not touched since my christmas concert, was languid and transparent, something i have been struggling to achieve at home. Dissonance after wagner, voiles sails, from the first book of preludes for pianocan be said to exist without harmonic resolution and, therefore, without traditional tonality. Spend lots of time making sure you understand the overall structure and the details of the analysis, using the scores on moodle and these notes. Claude debussy background debussy 18621918 was in many ways a radical composer. With glissandos emulating the sound of a harp, and by incorporating numerous dissonant chords that do not resolve to any traditional patterns of chord. Debussy, pentatonicism, and the tonal tradition jeremy day.
Scale networks and debussy dmitri tymoczko it is frequently observed that over the course of the nineteenth century the chromatic scale gradually supplanted the diatonic. Norton critical score, the hermeneutic analysis by david j. As seen in figure l, while maintaining the same right hand melody, debussy adds not just one, but two melodic lines under. Debussy does not only use traditional church modes e. Other debussian devices include the regarding of the seventh chord e. Appraising background information the composer claude debussy 18621918 was the leading french composer of the end of the nineteenth and early.
The piece elicits feelings of serenity within an eerie tranquility. Debussy s contribution to the genre was a characteristically impressionist one. The purpose of this thesis is to discuss the elements of. This practice, while often radical, nevertheless also. He developed a highly original system of harmony and musical structure that expressed in many respects the ideals to which the impressionist and symbolist painters and writers. His settings are known as melodie, a genre of art song. Voiles, from debussys first book of preludes, certainly displays some of debussys compositional affinities. The first remarkable change in debussy s piano literature occurs in pour le piano, which was published in 1901.
I provide the original scanned version and the filtered, because the filter does some changes smoothening, sharpening borders and some portions of the scan get lost sometimes when they are too small e. It is the second piece in a set of twelve preludes published in 1910. A descriptive analysis of the preludes book i of claude debussy thesis presented. Not only is the title full of mystery, but the piece itself leaves the listener in awe and wonder. In voiles, debussy uses a slightly different approach to layering his melodies.
On both an harmonic and melodic level, debussy made use of a variety of scales such as the wholetone, octatonic and pentatonic see, for example, the use of wholetone scales in voiles from the first book of preludes. Harmonic innovations in historical and musical context by ford fourqurean a thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of requirements of the csu honors program for honors in the degree of bachelor of music in music performance college of the arts columbus state university thesis advisor cylx. Voiles music score from preludes book 1 debussy, claude at imslp notes. Il primo comincia con lelaborazione della quartina di biscrome tratta da a. A stylistic analysis of the piano works of debussy and ravel thesis presented to the graduate council of the north texas state teachers college in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of master of music by elizabeth rose jameson, b. In the first movement, prelude, debussy introduces a large section based on wholetone harmony ih which the tonal cerite is suspended. When we say nontraditional scales we refer to scales other than the major and minor scales used in baroque, classical and romantic music. Voiles can mean either veils or masks or sails or sailboats. Debussy, pentatonicism, and the tonal tradition jeremy dayo. Other sources say that debussy was about to dedicate his string quartet to chausson but changed his mind, presumably because of chaussons personal reservations. Aug 12, 2017 todays video is based on a simple concept that youre bound to run into on your piano journey the whole tone scale. Analysis debussy voiles frederic chopin entertainment. Debussy reverie, practicing routines, blocking, harmonic analysis youtube piano instruction part 1. It has like debussys prelude a simple, stylized classical design.
In his later works, debussy took greater chances, implementing more nonresolving dissonances selfproclaimed floating chords and fragmented forms. Analysis debussy voiles frederic chopin entertainment general. But rather than taking such wholly understandable dissatisfaction as grounds for dismissal, it is more fruitful to consider whether the analytical categories. This is a special type of mode that is frequently found in early twentieth century music. C harmonic tonality 4 chapter ii scales, modes and chords. For a more in depth analysis of the harmonic and formulaic structure of the piece, click here. An analysis of debussys sonata for flute, viola, and harp. The title of the piece may be translated to english as either veils or sails.
The choice of compound triple meter for this movement shows the. Their relationship to melody and harmony in the preludes of debussy. About the melodic and harmonic organization of debussys prelude canope 19 canope is a piano prelude of claude debussy 18621918. In this prelude we find examples of harmonic procedures commonly used in claude debussys music like. Preludes and an indepth analysis of brouillards and voiles are included. A musical analysis roy howat excerpt more information. Used pentatonic and whole tone scales in his works did not follow typical harmonic progressions was very interested in color and timbre conclusion passepied is the fourth movement of suite bergamasque a passepied is a french court. Claude debussy 18621918 was a french impressionist composer and pianist. Cambridge university press 97805211458 debussy in proportion. My analysis of canope debussy preludes for piano, book. Korsakov, debussy, and ravel, preserved a more conventional understanding of the relation between chord and scale,but within a significantly expanded musical vocabulary.
Parting the veils of debussy s voiles page 47 doesnt feel as it should and by some sense of the poetic penumbra that still. Debussys contribution to the genre was a characteristically impressionist one. As you listen to the piece, it may help to also reference the piano score if you have experience reading music. A summary of their overall effect on debussys melody and harmony. In the first place, it attempts to oppose static and dynamic harmonic. Despite the research i have done regarding the title, the results i have found are still only speculation. Claude debussy and the javanese gamelan brent hugh. Debussy wrote to a friend in 1916 quote, you do me great honor by calling me a pupil of claude monet. Im looking very specifically at the in depth functionality of the music through a variety of analytic methods.
He is often labelled impressionist a term derived from painting, in which outlines are. My analysis of canope debussy preludes for piano, book ii. The purpose of this thesis is to discuss the elements of this later style and represent them graphically. Its a piece that is very well suited to an instrument with a very singing, limpid treble set over a deep, resonant bass perfect for those recurring bflat pedal points. Voiles for not being as he elsewhere describes lisle joyeuse a satisfying subject for detailed harmonic analysis p. Beginning his magisterial tome on the movement, impressionism, art historian meyer schapiro writes.
Debussys diatonic writing the quality of harmonic goaldirectedness. Analysis debussy voiles claude debussy elements of music. The sonata for flute, viola, and harp, written in 1915, is an excellent example of claude debussys later style. The title refers to a type burial urn from the city of canope in egypt. Questi tre elementi vengono sovrapposti alle battute 912. Memory and tonality in debussy s prelude a lapresmidi d. Claude debussy and the javanese gamelan debussys exposure to the gamelan debussy may have first heard the instruments of the gamelan as early as 1887, when the dutch government gave a gamelan to the paris conservatoire. The wholescale serves as an organizing factor through most of the work.
Voiles, meaning either veils or sails in french, is an example of an impressionist piece of music even though debussy himself refused the title of an impressionist. A different approach to analysis of claude debussys music. Appraising background information the composer claude debussy 18621918 was the leading french composer of the end of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Parting the veils of debussys voiles page 45 important, if not the only, property of the wholetone scale itselfthe fact that it can be transposed once, by a semitone, to provide the other six notes of the chromatic scale. Faure, an older contemporary of debussy, was attracted to symbolist poetry as well, and he set many poems to music. I would argue the tonality of this piece as being primarily based in c major. Debussy avoided the formal recapitulations and developments of the. Voiles is a composition by claude debussy for solo piano from 1909. Memory and tonality in debussy s prelude a lapresmidi dun faune. Notes this edition is filled with mistakes, including incorrect rhythms and missing accidentals. Debussys early phase 18881890 consisted of small conventional style pieces, but a ravel performance in 1898 may have influenced his change to a new style.
It provides another interesting perspective by actually looking at the music while also thinking of the imagery inspired by each section. Claude debussy, in full achilleclaude debussy, born august 22, 1862, saintgermainenlaye, francedied march 25, 1918, paris, french composer whose works were a seminal force in the music of the 20th century. From this point, debussys quality of education is unquestioned but the conservatoire environments strict methodology would spur his artistic growth while feeding debussys distain toward the conservative approach to harmony. His compositions are extremely influential in the development of 20th century music. The first remarkable change in debussys piano literature occurs in pour le piano, which was published in 1901. He not only infused each work with the harmonic language and compositional techniques of the period, but he also made the listener an important partner in the sharing of his most intimate thoughts and feelings. But he first heard the complete gamelan orchestra, played by skilled native musicians, in 1889 at the paris exhibition. Parting the veils of debussy s voiles page 45 important, if not the only, property of the wholetone scale itselfthe fact that it can be transposed once, by a semitone, to provide the other six notes of the chromatic scale. Heres a musical counterpart of this painting about ships and sails by monet.
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