The Sound of Innovation

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses the history and origins of the Javanese Gamelan, its debut at the Exposition Universelle that was held in Paris in 1889, and the lasting impact the Javanese Gamelan's performance had on the music of Debussy.

From the Paper:

"Thus, Achille-Claude Debussy emerges as one of the most innovative of modern, Western composers. His exploration and adaptation of Oriental musical forms, those of gamelan in particular, broadened the horizons of European music and opened up opportunities for a whole a range of new methods of expression. Rather than adhering to strict rules of tonality, and harmony, composers were now free to use forms that more closely matched human emotions, and the raw power of natural forces. Debussy's adoption of Javanese and other Oriental techniques was an essential part of the whole larger movement, then current, that favored looking beyond Europe, and out into the wider world for inspiration."

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