Petite Suite (Debussy)

The Petite suite is a piano work by the French composer Claude Debussy for piano duet from 1889 with the sets En Bateau - Cortège - Menuet - Ballet.

Emergence data

After Claude Debussy was staying in Switzerland, Rome and Russia in 1880, he returned in 1887 to his native city of Paris. Here he began in 1888 with work on the piano works Petite suite. 1889 appeared the work by Durand. The premiere took place in a musical salon event. Played Jacques Durand have the son of the publisher, and the composer, Claude Debussy himself

Character of the Petite suite

Claude Debussy is in the tradition of French music, which is also reflected in this piano work. Significant features are the simple harmony on one side and the " dance-like rhythms in the elastic " and the slight accents on the other side. Supreme demand of the French music of the future was to bring pleasure in the 19th century. Léon Vallas sees this " casual wealth of imaginative melodies " has prevailed in " the boldness in the chords or in the rhythmic emphasis " and the.

Distinctive features of the four sets

En Bateau - The Boot

Overridden with Andantino is the first movement of the Suite in a six -eight time and in G major. A three-part song form ABA ' (A: T.1 -30, B: T.31 -76, A': T. 77-109 ) is reflected in a change of key (A: G major, including skidding to H -Dur ( T. 13), B: D major, A ': G ) and character resist. Where in both A- parts in the piano "on six tenths arpeggios a dreamy vast six eighths - Cantilena " " unfolds " the B section comes with its dotted rhythms in Forte therefore very resolutely.

Cortège - Elevator march

The march in four-four time, the home key of E major, and only diverges over four bars (mm. 39-42 ) to A-flat major from. This second set has a striking theme, which is accompanied by a stepwise descending bass line. Decsey characterized the march as " peppy spring ".

Menuet

Typically, this dance has a three-quarter time. Although the Minuet in G major is it starts in D Major, which is also the key of an evasive episode ( T.32 -59 ). In addition to the quint embossed " Rococo Theme " varying is the strongest principle of composition of the minuet.

Ballet

The last movement of the suite has a waltz character, which however is repeatedly interrupted by a two -quarter time ( At the beginning of T. 1-47 & T. 107-142 ). The two complementary sections are held in three -eight time, so that the waltz character really comes to bear here. Beginning in D major differs from Debussy for the first waltz episode to G major. With a " striking degree" Claude Debussy completed this Ballet and thus his whole Petite suite.

Edits

Originally, the Petite suite is composed for piano four hands. In addition to an arrangement for piano two hands, there are adaptations for small and large orchestra. Especially in the silent era, the orchestral version was often used in theaters.