ClaudeDebussy:PrludeLAprsmididunFaune

Frenchcomposer:ClaudeDebussy(18621918),linkedtheromanticerawiththe
twentiethcentury.Hisworksareassociatedwiththeimpressionisticmovementinartbytheir
invocationofmood,color,andfluidity.Whileimpressionismhasbeentheenduringtermforhis
musicalstyle,Debussywasmoreinfluencedbysymbolistwriters,whosepoetryinspiredmany
ofhisworks.Acommonthemeisapparentinbothimpressionismandsymbolism:therebellion
againsttraditionalconventions.AsDebussylaterstated,hefeltthatmusicshouldbeenriched
byotherscales[thanthemajorandminorscaleofEuropeanmusic]...Rhythmsarestifling.
Rhythmscannotbecontainedwithinbars...Thereshouldbeaninterminableflowof
[rhythms].DebussyspiecePreludetoTheAfternoonofaFaunwasinspiredbyapoemby
Mallarm,evokingthedreamsanderoticfantasiesofapaganforestcreaturewhoishalfman,
halfgoat.

ListeningTips:

ThepreludeisinABAform.Inthisexcerpt,thefirstAsectionisheard,beginningwith
anunaccompaniedflutemelody.Themusicsvaguepulseandwanderingmelodiescreatea
dreamlikeandimprovisatoryfeel.Theopeningmelodyisheardagainandagain,faster,slower,
andagainstavarietyofcolorfulchordsandinstrumentaltonecolors,withacontinuousebband
flow.Attheendoftheexcerpt,themelodysoundsleadstothemostdistinctclosinggestureof
thepiecethusfar.Thisexcerptisthefirstofthreelargesectionsinthepiece;thethirdsection
recallsthemelodyfromthefirst.

ListeningGuide:
00:00 Mainmelody Unaccompaniedflutefollowedbyharp
glissandoandsofthorncalls.
Pauses.
00:58 Mainmelodyrepeatedwithnew Repeatmainmelody,flute,stringsin
accompaniment background.Orchestralbecomes
loud.
02:02 Mainmelodyvaried Flute,mainmelodyvariedandexpanded.
Harpandmutedstringsaccompany.
02:45 Melodyrepeated Melodyisrepeatedandspeedsup,leading
tocloseoffirstsectionofpiece.
03:17 End