Birth

 

Claude Debussy was born in 1862 in a suburb of Paris, France to Manuel-Achille (who owned a china shop) and Victorine (a seamstress).  Debussy began piano lessons at the age of 7, and at age 10 entered the Paris Conservatory where he spent the next 11 years.  It has been reported that although Debussy was clearly talented, he was also argumentative and experimental while at school and liked to challenge the rigid teachings of the music professors.

 

 

During His Lifetime

 

Debussy was a brilliant pianist and an outstanding sight reader, who could have had a professional career had he so wished. However, he liked composing and spent the majority of his time at this career.  He also spent quite a bit of his time dating women...lots of women.  While he did eventually marry, he was a bit of a cad.  He was greatly influenced by impressionist art: that is, instead of painting realistic, lifelike paintings with hard outlines, it used thousands of dots, or many different shades of color to create the "impression" of what they depicted. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Several things happened during Debussy's lifetime that you might have heard about before today.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Death

 

Debussy died in 1918 at the age of 55 at his home in Paris, France.  His death occurred in the midst of the aerial and artillery bombardment of Paris during the German Spring Offensive of World War I. In fact, it has been reported that his funeral procession made its way through deserted streets to the cemetary as German guns bombarded the city.  Since the military situation in France was critical and did not permit the honor of a public funeral with ceremonious graveside orations, Debussy's body was reinterred the following year. As per his wishes, his new gravesite was located resting among the trees and the birds.

 

 

 

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Type of Music

 

Debussy began composing during the Romantic Period; however, his compositions in later years are credited to starting a new period in classical music, the Modern Period.  He wrote the majority of his music for piano.  Debussy transferred the impressionist art concepts into his music by using dissonant chords, different harmonies, a lot of pedal (in piano music), and other features that were new for European music.  While all of these new techniques created music that often sounds quite soft and dreamy, his works were not always liked, and were even ridiculed, during his lifetime.  This is because his music was so different from the typical music of the day.  The below video gives more detail about Debussy, his music, and the birth of modern classical music.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Most Famous Music

 

Debussy's most famous pieces of music are Claire de Lune and Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun. 

 

 

 

Music in Pop Culture

 

Debussy's music has been used quite a few times in popular culture.  Click Debussy's pop art portrait to see video examples.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Listening

 

The videos below are great examples of Debussy's most famous music: Claire de Lune and Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun.