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Page 1 of 4

Debussy in Context
  • Edited by Simon Trezise
  • Published online:
    23 May 2024
    Print publication:
    23 May 2024
  • Exploring the many dimensions of Debussy's historical significance, this volume provides new perspectives on the life and work of a much-loved composer and considers how social and political contexts shape the way we approach and perform his works today. In short, focused chapters building on recent research, contributors chart the influences, relationships and performances that shaped Debussy's creativity, and the ways he negotiated the complex social and professional networks of music, literature, art, and performance (on and off the stage) in Belle Époque Paris. It probes Debussy's relationship with some of the most influential '-isms' of his time, including his fascination with early music and with the 'exotic', and assesses his status as a pioneer of musical modernism and his continuing popularity with performers and listeners alike.

  • Chapter 29 - Performers and Performance

  • from Part VI - Performers, Reception, and Posterity
  • Edited by Simon Trezise, Trinity College Dublin
  • Book:
    Debussy in Context
    Published online:
    23 May 2024
    Print publication:
    23 May 2024, pp 271-280

  • Summary

    The separation of composer and performer that is now so common in musical performance was only slowly emerging in Debussy’s time. Debussy was a highly capable pianist and many might have and expected him to perform his music in. However, unlike most of his contemporaries, Debussy felt little inclination to perform, so there is a separation between his composing activities and the performance of his works. Singers played an intimate and important role in Debussy’s life, not just as executants of his music but also as lovers and for the last years of his life as his wife. His view of singers was telling, both in those he admired and those he disliked. Debussy also enjoyed close working relationships with a handful of instrumentalists and conductors some of whom came to consult with him or at least play for him. Discussion of Debussy’s attitude to performers reveals a composer who relied heavily on the innate musicality of his interpreters and who retained many aspects of the Romantic tradition in his approach to performance.

The Cambridge Companion to French Music
  • Edited by Simon Trezise
  • Published online:
    05 March 2015
    Print publication:
    19 February 2015
  • France has a long and rich music history that has had a far-reaching impact upon music and cultures around the world. This accessible Companion provides a comprehensive introduction to the music of France. With chapters on a range of music genres, internationally renowned authors survey music-making from the early middle ages to the present day. The first part provides a complete chronological history structured around key historical events. The second part considers opera and ballet and their institutions and works, and the third part explores traditional and popular music. In the final part, contributors analyse five themes and topics, including the early church and its institutions, manuscript sources, the musical aesthetics of the Siècle des Lumières, and music at the court during the ancien régime. Illustrated with photographs and music examples, this book will be essential reading for both students and music lovers.

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