Around 1900 Debussy composed 12 short pieces for two flutes, two harps and celesta as incidental music for the Chansons de Bilitis (recitation of ancient Greek poems by the courtesan Bilitis) by Pierre Louÿs. Although it was performed, the work was not published during Debussy’s lifetime. The composer highly valued the work and returned to it in 1914, choosing six of the old pieces and reworking them into an important new cycle for piano four hands. At the same time he also completed a version for piano solo (HN 402). Debussy succeeded to transform the delicate incidental music into a colourful, sonorous piano setting in both versions.
目录/详情
- Pour invoquer Pan, dieu du vent d'été
- Pour un tombeau sans nom
- Pour que la nuit soit propice
- Pour la danseuse aux crotales
- Pour l'Egyptienne
- Pour remercier la pluie au matin
前言
The Six Épigraphes antiques appeared in February 1915 in the midst of the First World War. Nothing is known about the occasion that gave rise to them. When Debussy sent the manuscript to his publisher Durand shortly before the outbreak of hostilities, he merely remarked: “At one point I intended to turn them into an orchestral suite.” Indeed, the pieces are a reworking of … 更多
版本评注
关于作曲家

Claude Debussy
Most important French composer around 1900, whose music, primarily characterized by its sound, exhibits profound innovations. His oeuvre bears a close relationship to Symbolism.
1862 | Born in Saint-Germain-en-Laye on August 22. |
1872–84 | Studies at the Conservatoire de Paris. During this time, he travels with the family of Nadezhda von Meck to Switzerland, Italy, Vienna, and Russia, where he becomes acquainted with Russian and Gypsy music. |
1884 | Wins the Prix de Rome with his cantata “L’Enfant prodigue.” Thereafter resides in Rome until 1887. |
1887–89 | Songs, “Cinq Poèmes de Baudelaire.” |
1888/89 | Visit to the Bayreuth Festival; criticism of Wagner. |
1889 | Exposition universelle (World Exposition) in Paris, where he learns about East Asian music, which influences his style. |
1890 | Connection to Mallarmé and his circle. |
1891/1903 | Series of songs, “Fêtes galantes,” after Verlaine. |
1891–94 | Orchestral work “Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune” (“Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun”) with arabesque-like melodies. |
1897–99 | Nocturnes for orchestra and women’s voices. |
1901 | Beginning of his activity as a music critic. |
1902 | Performance of the opera “Pelléas et Mélisande” after the Symbolist drama by Maeterlinck, which despite criticism spells his breakthrough. |
1903–05 | Orchestral work “La Mer” uses symphonic principles and “Impressionist” tonal language. |
1905–07 | Books one and two of “Images” for piano. |
1906–08 | “Children’s Corner,” children’s pieces for piano. |
1909–10/11–1913 | Books one and two of the “Préludes” for piano; the programmatic titles of these character pieces, some of which are quite esoteric, are listed at the end of each one. |
1913 | Songs “Trois poèmes de Stéphane Mallarmé.” |
1915–17 | Chamber music sonatas, drawing from the French tradition of the eighteenth century. |
1918 | Death in Paris on March 25. |