Today marks Debussy’s 150th birthday. Needless to say, I’m quite excited. Most of the internet doesn’t seem to be making such a huge deal about it though; there isn’t even a Google Doodle to celebrate! Despite what everyone else is (or isn’t!) doing, I feel as though I could shout about this birthday all week long!
I published a Composer of the Week post on Debussy a couple years ago, so today I’ll just share some of his best quotes and a few YouTube videos of his music in honor of his life and work.
Some other great lines from Mr. Debussy:
There is nothing is more musical than a sunset. He who feels what he sees will find no more beautiful example of development in all that book which, alas, musicians read but too little – the book of Nature.
Art is the most beautiful deception of all. And although people try to incorporate the everyday events of life in it, we must hope that it will remain a deception lest it become a utilitarian thing, sad as a factory.
In opera, there is always too much singing.
And now we know how he felt about that genre!
The century of aeroplanes deserves its own music. As there are no precedents, I must create anew.
Music is the silence between the notes.
Debussy wrote A LOT of piano music. Dig in!
A little music to lift your mood! Debussy’s Golliwog’s Cakewalk:
Clair de Lune: