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Honors Theses Carl Goodson Honors Program
1974
The Techniques of Impressionism in the Preludes of Claude Debussy
Janet Duffel Ouachita Baptist University
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Recommended Citation Duffel, Janet, "The Techniques of Impressionism in the Preludes of Claude Debussy" (1974). Honors Theses. 618. https://scholarlycommons.obu.edu/honors_theses/618
This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Carl Goodson Honors Program at Scholarly Commons @ Ouachita. It has been accepted for inclusion in Honors Theses by an authorized administrator of Scholarly Commons @ Ouachita. For more information, please contact [email protected]. THE TECHNIQUES OF IMPRESSIONISM
IN THE PRELUDES
OF CLAUDE Dl~BUSSY
by Janet Duffel
-·'
Honors Project Spring 1974 Claude Debussy, called by Bartok "the greatest composer of our period"1, was one of the most important composers in the history of piano music. He int.roduced a new approach to musical composition which is best summed up in ~ excerpt from a letter written by Debussy in 1885: I don't .think I shall ever be able to put music into a strict mould. I'm not speaking of musical form; it's a literary question. I shall always prefer a subject where, somehow, action is sacrificed to feeling. It seems to me that mysic thus becomes more human and one can then discove2 and refine upon a means of expression. As a student at the Paris Conservatory, Debussy showed little promise. His violations of the laws of composition annoyed and bewildered his professors. A description by a fellow student of one of his improvisations at the keyboard reveals many of the features which are now accepted as general characteristics of Debussy's piano music. At the piano we heard groups of consecutive fifths and octaves; sevenths which instead of being resolved in the proper way actually led to the note above or weren't resolved at all; shameful f'false relations"; chords
. 1otto Deri, Exploring Twentieth-Century Music (New York, New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Inc., 19 68) , p. 1 52. 2Edward Lockspeiser, Debussy (London, England: J. M. Dent and Sons, Ltd., Aldine House, 1951), p. 25. 1 2
of the ninth on alL degrees of the scale; chords of the elvventh and thirteenth; all the notes of the diatqnic scale heard at once in fantastic arrangements •••• And all this Claude called 'le regal de l'ouie' (a feast for the ear).3 Because of his departure from the basic harmonic principles which had been in use for hundreds of years, Debussy was one of the principal originators of the new piano style in the twentieth century.4 Although Debussy was not always the first composer to use all the devices considered part of his style, he exploited them to such an extent that they became 11 part of the vocabulary of music.n5 · As the music of Beethoven bridged the gap between the Classical and Romantic periods in music, the music of Debussy served as one of the most significant bridges between the music of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.6 Although the music of Wagner, of Russian nationalists, of the Far East, and of Mussourgsky all had a powerful effect on the formation of Debussy's style, his creative inspiration came from Impressionist painters and Symbolist literature. "Symbolist poets and Impressionist
3Ibid, p. 18. 4Joseph Machlis, Intr.oduction to Contemporary Music (New York, New York: W. W. Norton and Co., Inc., 1961), p. 127. 5Peter s. Hansen, An Introduction to Twentieth Century Music (Boston, Mass.: Allyn and Bacon, Inc., 1967), p. 28. 6illQ, p. 13. 3 painters helped to sharpen th~ senses of their contem poraries.117 To the Impressionists the subject matter itself was of less importance than the impression the subject aroused. They turned away from realism and were more concerned with color and light than form and substance. The poets often sacrificed clarity of statement to emphasiz,e the sounds of the words. Their primary aim was to establish a mood through the sound and rhythll. of their verses. In the Preludes, Debussy creates a mood by exploiting· the resources of the piano. These twenty-four pieces contain all the compositional techniques whiqh De·bussy had formulated through experimentation with various harmonic, melodic and rhythmic devices. In the area of harmony, Debussy's most important I contribution is his treatment of dissonance. Previously, the use of dissonance had been governed by the principle that a dissonant chord must be followed by moments of relaxation through resolution. But Debussy uses dissonance to add color rather than create tension • • • • Debussy's harmonic world has a different .flow from the music of the preceding era; · because there is no urgent need to reach ~ destinations', the flow of the chords assumes a gentleness, an unforced quality. Instead of sharply drawn harm9nic progressions, chords are presented, often merely for their
7Peter s. Hansen, An Introduction to Twentieth Century Music (Boston, Mass.: Allyn and Bacon, Inc., 1967), p. 12. 4 .. sound values, with one unresolved chord gently ~lowing to the next, Without eliciting any need for resolution of these chords.8 · The following example, from ''La vent dans la plaine", . . illustrates this technique of leading a dissonant chord to another one on a different level rather than resolving it.
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---~~·~~------
. 8otto Deri, Ex~loring Twentieth-Century Music (New York, New York.: Ho t' Rinehart and Winston, Inc.' 19 68) ' p. 1 57. 5
One of Debussy's f~vorite harmonic devices is the use of p~rallel perfect intervals--fourths, fifths, and octaves--and parallel chords. Some type o£ parallelism is found in each of the preludes. In "Danseuses de
Delphes 11 , Debussy uses parallel chords between sections of the piece to add color.
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The main characteristic of "La cath,drale engloutie" is the use of parallel chords. The harmonies of the entire piece are based on parallel chords. In the first section, the harmonies are unusual because they are composed of fourths and fifths--the third of the chord is not present. This type of harmonic structur e, called organum, helps to create the atmosphere of a cathedral because in medieval times chants were often sung at intervals of perfect: ~ fourths, perfect fif ths and octaves.
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J)ebussy also uses para~lel chords to accompany the melody. In ''Hommage a' s. :Pickwick Esq. D.P.M.P.C.", the melody of "God Save the Queentt is in the bass in octaves, accompanied by parallel chords in the right hand.
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As in the example above, Debussy often writes his melodies in octaves, accompanied by different figures according to the mood he wishes to evoke. In "Feux
d 1 artifice", Debussy accompanies his melody by whole tone passages. 8
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In u Les col lines d '.Anacapri 11· , broken octaves are used to accomp~y the melody.
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The other perfect inte+vals--perfect fourths and perfect fifths--also are used as accompaniment figures. One section of "La fille aux cheveux de lin" has parallel fourths accompanying the melody, followed by a run of parallel fourths at the final cadence. 10
The parallel fifths in "La s~r6:nade interrompue 11 not only serve as the accompanying figure when the melody enters, 'but they also suggest the sound of a guitar.
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Debussy often uses the intervals of seconds and seventhsfas accompanying figures and to form clusters. The accompaniment figure in "La vent dans la plaine" is based entirely on the intervals of seconds and sevenths. At the beginning of the piece the intervals are major sevenths and minor seconds, but in the middle section they change to minor sevenths and major seconds. At the end of the piece, ma.j or sevenths and minor seconds return in the accompaniment. 11
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. \ \:1:1 I' ....,.
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In 11 .-.&,eux d'artifice" both major and minor seconds join the sections of the piece. The right hand figure is composed of seconds and is a second above the note played by the left hand. 12
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Later in the same piece, Debussj also uses clusters formed by major seconds.
ee:le.M.J... ------II - - ~,. I r--. A /t_ /1r till / .., I ~ / /- / I ,. r Jl l / . I / • "' / -. I / "' I r;t"\Q I I / / I 1..: .J c.J / I I / f I (... ! f I ~~ r 1 lp.J ~ !r· I i .... Ja ~~: ~ r\ I I J )I '1 ...... (, "\(") I '-. .., .... \; .) 0 \ -...... :r...... , -=lf"1!1 c.. . -...... -. ~ ~ "' ""' "'--~ ,.....,_,-., i I - r 0 13
One of the traditional devices that Debussy uses extensively is the pedal point. When. the pedal point is in the bass, it often helps to establish a tonal center, as in 11 Les sons et les parfums tournent dans l'air du soir." . . ..- ...... - ' < ~~ _ ..:! ,.... ~lk -4 ..... f--11 - 1 ... f...,ol ~ - -4 - ~ '"-- '-- ~..! ~ .!! '\ -1+ :rl: ---- r•;i ------~~~ '"'- I I +t -.;;;- l 1t.C \. -ttC"\-- r 'I r ...... ,:) ,... 1-- J +r ...... - l.. • Ill \ ,, ' r 411 \ \.. J -:s ...... /" ...... "' ~<::!· " - -- p. fi,
- ~··------
11 Voilesu is base.d on the whole-tone scale. Because all the intervals in the whole-tone scale are an equal distance apart, the piece does not have a tonal center. But the B" pedal point which occurs throughout the piece in the bass almost becomes a tonal aanter and also relates the contrasting sections of the piece.
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Debussy's pedal points are not always in the bass. "La Danse de Puck" has a trill in an inner voice which is used as a · pedal point.
r. -....._ /. ' ~-- r ~- . .. . ------_, . -f I / h _[ -l T ,-, / 1 / h r] "I I -1 I _r "· r \ f( I'"' 0 I I I I 1..1 1 ~ II I I I \ '-.J..I t--1' !-- - I='--' ------:-:::=::::::::.-
I If ["'\w D C:::l i C: II.. _) , t! L T"-- r __.,---1 'E'.~ r ~~"::>t+
The feature most commonly associated with Debussy's. music is his use of scales other than the major and minor forms. The scale is the structural organization behind both melody and harmony, and when this is substantially changed from former musical practices, herein lies the clue toward the recogni ti.on and · understanding of this new sound.9 Among these forms are the whole-tone scale, the pentatonic scaleiJand the modal scales. To understand Debussy's preference for scales other than major-minor, one should think of the inherent psychological effects. One should keep in mind that the major-minor key system with the tonic-dominant axis sets up a certain
Harmon : Romanticism New York: The Free 15
tension system with very well-defined destinations and harmonic purpose. This is e15ctly what Debussy wanted to avoid. The modal scales occur most frequently in the preludes. In "La fille aux cheveux de lintt the melodic material i.s in the dorian mode, but it is harmonized in the key of G11 major.
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The identifying characteristic of 11 Voilesn is the whole-tone passage which occurs at the beginning.of the piece.
10otto Deri, Exploring Twentieth-Century Music (New York, New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Inc., 1968), p. 157. 16
r'\, "* ;,.,...... r~~ '2:1" .... t-- ~ "'\ ~ .. ~ ~- • .. ~ ~ ~ ~ / 01','1 • 1'1 ,.. '" 'z:. -.. 5o ..... • • (/ 1"\ u ( r-. _.!!_ • ~ J. t--o-. ~ .E.• _..., \. ..1 ...... : ::::---...... _ I -~ -'=['oo. ":::"" _]UII '-' v ...... ,; - . - ~""" . ,, . I) ., p -tee tl dcu~ <. > p ~ pLi).. p :::::- -""" I ,...... - '-' J (;I <::) ~ 7 (, - .· -· r I ' - - - r "-- ·- . ·-· -
When the pie·ce changes keys, the type o:f scale pass·age changes to pentatonic. At the end of the piece, the whole-tone :pattern used at the beginning returns.
I ' pm.:r_l!. I' .. ~ ~'"-"" .. ~ L I _/ 1-J·O{ h~ D \ I/ "-h ...... ~ r _ ,., - ,. , tl!.. - v ...... -- ' - l f
The melodic figure in "Les 6ollines d'Anacapri " suggests the penta~onic scale. A hal:f-step occurs between the A# and the B, but the e:f:fect is that o:f the pentatoni.c scale. 17
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Debussy's use of the chromatic scale is primarily as an accompanying figure and to provide color between sections of a piece. "La Terrasse des audiences du Clair de lune" has chromatic passagew used in both of these ways.
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r--- I /""\. • ..,... l1' ./ c .. ·"-' ( . ""' 1, I 1...... - :rs; ..,.. {(1"\? L -- I (.. ff \ b .. i' '\ 1f ...... 18
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As a result of the use of modal, whole-tone, chromatic and pentatonic scales, Debussy's cadences depend more on the completion of a certain theme or section of a composition than on the harmonic progression. The final chord of the cadence functions as a rest chord, because it is usually less dissonant than what precedes it. An example of this type of cadence is the chord which serves as the final cadence in 11 Ce qu'a vu le vent d' Ouest". 19 . " ().l.l ~~eMe~-l ....ot;f~l -I 9~~ 1\ ~~ .j ' 1"\-tr ~ -- - - " / ~'1' -:;;_ .... • -I -I " "0 - I - b~ II / '-' )• > I I ~ ~- •I"' _,. ...., !l (( I"\ '"" -LL ../ J.l L J#c: t"" \: ...., r 1../ I t • - • - 0' ·,L_ r lf. A ~ • sl+~~ I ff ~ >-F .:::::: r\ -1+ ~ ,..
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The use of these scales and cadences helps to obscure the tonal center. Debussy often usee a particular key signature and then a chord or seDies of chords which cannot be analyzed ashaving any relationship to that key. This kind of harmonic progression appears in "Les sons et les parfums tournent dans l'air du aoir". The key signature is that of A major, but in measures ·34-36 there is ~ series of parallel chords which cannot be analyzed in the key of A major. This harmonic structure results in an indefinite tonal center. 2.0
~ Rubo.~ . • • • . • I 111."2~ • • • . h' II .._,! It! .. I. v v- I I. -11-. l..) """t ·- - ,-rr- l.. • ·j l~~~ ·~ ii~ f;lfl~ .. (5r; .. '~!1 ? 1f" ~~ =t 1 b• <: -"' ' I I"J /:1. I II' I:J • ±r,.- I ' V £.. ) ' I I t:J• t f' I • o• l j /h "II , ,...... If I •I ,, '#.• Cl • I " YJ ....,. ' ' • I f:1 , I '------l I _, lD.. ho.sse un petA.. appuyee et sou.fen.u
Many of the Preludes change key signatures at least once. "Feux d'artifice" begins with the key signature of F major. Then the key signature changes to Db major, to c major, to Ammajor, back to C major, to F·1t major, to c major, to F-n major, to C major, to F major and ends with the key signature of C major. Another technique which obscures the tonal center is the use of many accidentals. At the beginning of "Feux d'artifice" the key signature is that. of F major, but the accidentals in the first measure obscure the tonal center. The pattern for the first half of each beat is F-G-A. But on the second half of each beat the pattern is Bb-Ab-ab. By using some of the same tones in each pat~ern with different accidentals, Debussy obscures the tonal center. 21
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Debussy's melodies frequently consist of short phrases which are often repeated. The melody in "Danseuses e de Delphes" is composed of one short phrase, its repttition, and a longer phrase. This melody is presented in different registers of the keyboard and with various accompanying figures.
"11 ~ "''I .. I ~ - ~ ·~ ~~ - - -- ~ - -41- - - -· I n ~ .. I / \.., 'p • \ / lr. " ....:..;>'") I f- .-, it ~ ~ ~-- - )V - - 7 1' • I ~ -~· • ,, • ' \.:.. ~ I I • I • • I I 1 lc.J ---J.. q.~. "''I 1- 11'-11 p..J t:p ""''I ,..il~ - • J) } p 1- ..... I jf_, ..: 'I 'i ~ ~ ~ 11'111- ,--..0 '"""") • •• ~I 1-• '-" 0 t7 .._) I ,. • I • • . . • 1-7 L. J .,, . ;!.• J ..,.. ., .... • . , v -, • -.., • - - - ~ ... - ... ;:. ;: li~ ~ r r. tt• l . . ' ~• 23
Throughout the piece, the meter change is indicated by a broken bar lin~ where the normal bar line in 4 should come.
T....._.. ------=-·- The time signatures at the beginning of "La cathedrale · engloutie" and ''Les Collines d' Anacapri" are ~ = ~ and
- -· ~_,Lo.. Qo..:ti .. ec;l~g.Le 1 eN._gLcu-tLe. I 24
The rhythmic pattern of the accompaniment which appears throughout "Des pas sur l a neige" obscures the meter through the use of an uneven triplet and tied notes.
In 11 Canope"' different subdivisions of the beat are used in the same phrase to obscure the meter of the piece.
I ("\ -tuEft~~Q. . I r 17/ ... ~ .tv / ... - ' l I I ~ ...-il I I ' -\_j ~ II \ "' I I.J.-I-I" \.. J I ./ (., ' ' \ I p L:::. ("\ J 11 I "1- lt.- (tF\v/T=' "~"'-" l'i.. [7 !C.. . 2-. Q.
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1'-'"""' " ~'--"' VI I l 25
11 Canope" also has an example of syncopation. The emphasis comes on the second beat of the measure rather than on the first or third beat. The first beat is a quarter rest, and the third beat is a tied note.
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II'"""\ o tl !'-')' I '-1 - ';;.;.;.- ~u- I 1 I \, \ OJ . '1 -::::: . ~-
The influence of Spanish rhythms on Debussy's music is obvious in "La puerta del Vino". The tempo marking at the beginning, the great number of accents, and the dotted rhythms indicate a Spanish influence.
I / t J~:: > n }...... ~ I f'l .fl .,. 1 > '""''1 r11.. o< ~ l:f ,,; .;> \ L 1'1 I l:i ; >ft.~ q 1:1 I L. I v. I I \ I '-'1 (_ 'I \"1r' VfJL '1 \bl qf 1:1~ "I 0, b, IV 'I~ ~~ h1- }a.pre< ~~ c:::::::::. ~kk p~ ~~p=~
' ...... 1\ .... .A .... ' " /' ~L d-. I. ... Lf ./"""" ./ -1 _/':.;of 7'1 &, II .,. I I I I V lll- T II I 1\ \. b• II \ll '- I> • I 7 ,, • •. _1 • \!-.___;7 '-?:___,.-;- ""--"~ · J. '-"1 · 26
Another prelude which shows the Spanish influence in melody and rhythm is "La serenade interrompue".
/. ,,...... , ,__ 1\ I') In I') I 1\ 1 I I I, v J .... - .l r I I j)( ~ /, v VJ f... A I .I • tu """I 1:1~ ..1 I I. l !:) II 1) --.., T7 f , , ...... __ _, • ~ \,.,. • • • •
< _...... - ... - ... ~ ... ~ - ... _, ... - .J:I I~ I J". ' I 'J ...... • ~ l t:l6 ~ · • ...... t:J ~ ' I r n h ..J r • I"' - r .. .I ••I II l"'•r•r• •I • ,I ' IJ ' lin .. () I I I I l I I .. t. h f I v • • • SeMpre so ret
r.. I I I? I. I L v"' " 1'\ ..., Nl\ I r l' rJ I.. I I l I I. IT I \. .J v '1 II u ~•• • •• -!-""' ,___ t-.:: -- · ~ I-,; - :::::-- ) ~ ~ - ~ · ... J .. b. ... I- ... ~ ~ ~ b.lll -.:; 1- T ... - ""' . t:~•l •. I • J . v lr. o• ... ·r-- ' II ' I c• r- • I I 1,..· 1 " . I ~ ~ n r, I' -
Debussy is precise in his tempo and dynamin markings. In each prelude there are many markings which tell the pianist exactly what to do. The remarks at the beginning of each piece often set the mood for the entire piece. "Dans le style et le Mouvement d'un Cake-Walk"
·characterizes the atmosphere of "General Lavine G eccentric II • "La puerta del Vino" begins with the following instructions:
"avec de . brusq_u~s oppositions d' extreme violence et de passionn~e doucenr". 27
The comment at the beginning of "Voiles" reads: "~ans un rhythme sans rigueur et caressant." One of the specific remarks in "Lea collinee d 1 Anacapri" directs the pianilbt to play that section of the piece "avec la liberta d 1 une chanson populairen. Some of the most frequent tempo markings in the Preludes are ~c · edez" (ri tard), "Retenu"
(ritard to the next tempo marking), and 11 Mouvement" (a tempo). The majority of Debussy's dynamic markings are pianos and pianissimos. Seven of the Preludes of the first volume start pp and the other five are marked p. Stunning dramatic climaxes occur, but they are momentary flashes soon to be replaced by quiet.11 Debussy not only uses precise dynamic and tempo markings but also gives specific directions for playing the piece. For instance, in measure 48 of
"Voiles" the directions read: 11 comme un tr~s leger glissando". One section of "Lea sons et les parfums
tournent dans l'air du soir" says that 11 la basae un peu appuyeie et soutenu.''. In the next to the last measure of "La terrasse des audiences du clair de lune", the words utimbrez lagerement la petite note" appear.
11 Peter s. Hansen, An Introduction to Twentieth Century Music (Boston, Mass.: Allyn and Bacon, Inc., 1967), p. 33. 28
Debussy makes use of the entire range of the keyboard. Some of the preludes in the first volume, such as "Lea collines d'Anacapri", make use of extreme registers of the keyboard, but not until the second volume are the high and low registers used simultaneously with the middle area empty. This technique appears in
'1Brouillards 11 • r Mou v+' &- ~- -~ ----- , -- -, ,.----...., I ~;.. ~ ~ ~ *~ it~ r-~ :~~:;.. ~· I' r- - r- -;- --r-- if:.' a r--- ~ ~ J I l I ..t t. II ~ -- 1T # • _1[. 1\ !J "\ (~ ~ · ) ' "/ II jt ~· \_ !.J ' - I \.... <> pp< "II : ' ~ II /, ~ ~ c:: ( l _} ( ' \.... pp un pe~ en JQ hors
) I I _,()tj_• ~ /'f~ w I , \ -:t:f.d \ 1\ • -H- I I I } I 0 -:Jt • - - -tt-' • ,. ,.H. ~ ~·II '- -: M 11":. ~ ~ ~ . ~.J 8~0.SS{)..------1
By using the compositional techniques discussed in the preceding pages, Debussy arrived at one of .the - ' most original and i nfluential styles developed in the early twentieth century. His new approach to dissonance, his weaving together of brief, fragmentary melodies, his use of scales other than major and minor, and his new B!>PDeption of sound and form influenced the leadling 29 composers of the twentieth century. One can state without exaggeration that Debussy exerted the most important single influence on a host of composers, including Stravinsky, Bartok, Berg and even Webern and Boulez.12
12otto Deri, Ex¥~oring Twentieth-Century Music (New York, New York: Hol, Rinehart and Winston, Inc., 1968) ' p. 165. BIBLIOGRAPHY
...J Apel, Willi. Harvard Dictionary of Music. Cambridge: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 1969. Austin, William w. Music in the Twentieth CenturyW from Debussy through Stravinsky. New York: . • W. Norton and Company, Inc., 1966.
Deri, Otto. Explorin~ Twentieth-Century Music. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Inc., 1968. Ewen, David. The Complete Bopk of Twentieth Century Music. New York: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1952. Hansen, Peters. An Introduction to Twentieth-Century . Music. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, Inc., 1967. Hill, Edward Burlingame. M.odern French Music. Cambridge: The Riverside Press, Houghton · Mifflin Company, 1924. '
Lockspeiser, Edward. Debussy~ London: J. M. Dent and Sons, Ltd., Aldine House, Temple Press, 1951. M.achlis,
Ulehla, Ludmila. Conte~porary Harmony: Romanticism through the Twelve-Tone Row. New York: The Free Press, 1966.