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Debussy: Works
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These last works of Debussy were composed with great difficulty under the combined duress of the first World War and the cancer that was killing him. Debussy was greatly depressed by the fact that his age and health prevented him from serving in the French army. For quite a while he was unable to compose at all. Sadly, he began to see composition as the only act of patriotism of which he was capable. These works would be an affirmation of French culture. "I want to work not so much for myself, but to give proof... small it may be, that not even 30 million ‘boches’ can destroy French thought." These works were inspired by the grace, clarity and restraint of the 18th century French composers Rameau and Couperin.
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During the latter years of Debussy's life, some of his most famous piano works were created. Debussy's piano preludes which include La Cathédrale Engloutie (The Sunken Cathedral) are often compared to those of Chopin. In 1910, Debussy developed rectal cancer, slowly weakening him one day at a time. It wasn't until 1918, while Paris was under German attack that the cancer finally claimed his life.
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This sonata was one of a series of six instrumental sonatas which Debussy projected. At the time of his death only three were completed - one for cello and piano, one for violin and piano and the sonata to be performed today. It is poignant that Durand, Debussy’s publisher, retained the composer’s title "Six Sonatas for Diverse Instruments" on the printed score and in advertisements for his works even though only three sonatas exist. These last works of Debussy were composed with great difficulty under the combined duress of the first World War and the cancer that was killing him. Debussy was greatly depressed by the fact that his age and health prevented him from serving in the French army. For quite a while he was unable to compose at all.
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Influenced by Mallarmé, Debussy wrote one of his most famous works, the revolutionary Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune, truly original in form and execution. In contrast to the large orchestras so favoured by late-romanticism, Debussy wrote this piece for a smaller ensemble, emphasizing instrumental colour and timbre. Despite Mallarmé himself, and colleague and friend Paul Dukas having been impressed by the piece, it was controversial at its premiere. Prélude subsequently placed Debussy into the spotlight as one of the leading composers of the era.
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During the 1890s Debussy's works were performed with increasing frequency, and despite their then-controversial nature, he began to gain some recognition as a composer. Outstanding are the String Quartet in G Minor (1893), which some critics regard as his best work; and the famed Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune (Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun, 1894), his first mature orchestral work. The latter was based on a poem by the French symbolist Stéphane Mallarmé.
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Debussy was educated at the Paris Conservatory, and in 1885 he won the coveted Prix de Rome. His period in Rome... was not pleasant for Debussy and he longed to return to Paris. His early works show his desire to break the constraints of Western harmony and form (he especially disliked sonata-allegro form, which he came to see as overly Germanic and not fitting for a French composer). His Prelude to The Afternoon of a Faun departs from any sense of development, relying instead on a series of free repetitions and variations of the basic themes.
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