Debussy, (Achille-) Claude

Click a letter for the index

Or search the encyclopaedia:

 

 

Go

 

French composer. He broke with German Romanticism and introduced new qualities of melody and harmony based on the whole-tone scale. His work includes Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune/Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun (1894), illustrating a poem by Stéphane Mallarmé, and the opera Pelléas et Mélisande (1902).

Among his other works are numerous piano pieces, songs, orchestral pieces such as La Mer/The Sea (1905) and Trois Nocturnes/Three Nocturnes (1899), and the ballet Jeux (1913). Debussy also published witty and humorous critical writing about the music of his day, featuring the fictional character Monsieur Croche ‘antidilettante’ (professional debunker), a figure based on Erik Satie.

Red stands for hardiness and valour. White signifies purity and innocence. Blue represents vigilance, perseverance, and justice. The latest star, representing Hawaii, was added in 1960. Effective date: 4 July 1960. >>