Claude Debussy

Term Paper # 101227

Music Studies > Classical and Baroque

Claude Debussy

This paper discusses French composer Claude Debussy's melody "Reverie".

1,098 words () | 6 sources | MLA | 2008 United States

Paper Summary:

The paper relates that Claude Debussy's music was often associated with the Impressionist movement in painting. The paper shows how his piece "Reverie" reflected the aesthetic currents of the time and mirrored the methods of the Impressionists. The paper describes the complexities of this piece.

From the Paper:

"Claude Debussy (1862-1918) was a French composer and critic whose music was often associated with the Impressionist movement in painting. He believed that the primary aim of music is to give pleasure, and Debussy was especially interested in the sensuous quality of music. He often allowed the sensuous qualities of the sound to override many of the rules of composition and harmony. In his early period, Debussy was a follower of Wagner and saw his power as the future of music, especially with reference to musical drama. He later changed his focus and was influenced by the symbolist and decadent movements in poetry, notable for their interest in sound and abstract meaning. Debussy became increasingly drawn to abstract forms in music as well ("Claude Debussy" paras. 1-6)."

Sample of Sources Used:

"Claude Debussy." Composers. (2001). December 5, 2006. http://www.essentialsofmusic.com/composer/debussy.html.
Folkman, Benjamin. "Debussy Greatest Hits." BMG (2001). Liner Notes.
Hauser, Arnold, The Social History of Art: Volume 4. New York: Vintage Books, 1985.
Kielty, Bernardine. Masters of Painting. New York: Doubleday & company, 1985.
Schmitz, E. Robert. The Piano Works of Claude Debussy. New York: Dover, 1967.