A Piano Method by Claude Debussy

A piano method by Claude Debussy
Karstein Djupdal >> Debussy >> piano method

Debussy's ideas on piano playing
Introduction Introduction
At one time Debussy interested himself in pedagogy so much that Accuracy of interpretation
he thought of writing a piano method of his own, because he
considered those in existence unsatisfactory, uninspiring, tedious Artistic licence of the performer
and mechanical. [Nichols p. 161]
A piano method by Claude Debussy. What would it be like? The Musical imagination and atmosphere
above quote from Maurice Dumesnil indicates that Debussy might have
Musical expression
thought about writing a piano method, but he never did, and probably didn't
interest himself enough in this. It is however clear that Debussy had certain
Rhythm and rubato
ideas on how his piano music should be played. In a letter he writes:
One is often betrayed by so-called pianists! I mean it - I can't tell Dynamics

you the extent to which my piano music has been deformed; so
much so that often I have a job to recognize it! [Lesure & Nichols Sound and colours
p. 222]
Technique and touch
For the pianists who want a better understanding of the performance
of Debussy's piano music, it is interesting to get to know the ideas that
Pedalling
Debussy himself had. I have attempted to construct the piano method that
Debussy could have written. That is, the ideas I present here are not my ideas
The visual performance in a concert
about playing Debussy, but should as far as possible be Debussy's own ideas.
Fortunately we have a lot of sources which, taken together, can give us a Playing complete works or single pieces
good indication of how Debussy wanted his music played.
The sources are books, articles and reminiscences by pianists, pupils References
and friends of Debussy. The articles and letters written by Debussy himself,
which are quite numerous, unfortunately say little about piano playing, so we
are mostly leaved with the secondary sources.
A lot of young pianists became interested in his piano music, and
many studied with him for shorter or longer periods. The Spanish pianist
Ricardo Viñes (1875-1943), who was a very active pianist on the
contemporary music scene in Paris, also gave many first performances of
Debussy's works. How much intruction he received from Debussy is
uncertain, but he would typically play through the pieces for Debussy before
he performed them in public. In the year 1902 he performed the work Pour
le piano, and in his diary is written:
I went to Debussy's house, 58 Rue Cardinet, to rehearse three

pieces. And Debussy is pleased I know them by heart. [Brody p.
52]
Marguerite Long (1878-1966), the famous French pianist, studied

with Debussy the summer 1914 and the summer 1917. Her impressions are
http://djupdal.org/karstein/debussy/method/m01.shtml[26/02/2017 05:58:33 p. m.]

collected in her book At the piano with Debussy [Long]. She says that
Debussy 'initiated her into the style, even if he did not go into all his works'
[Long p. 12]. She claims to know all the secrets and wishes of Debussy, but
there is still disappointingly little we get to know about the playing of
Debussy. The book is rather poetically written, by someone apparently
intoxicated by the music of Debussy. And so it is difficult to separate her
opinions from those of Debussy, but it is still a valuable book.
E. Robert Schmitz (1889-1949) was a French pianist who later
immigrated to the USA. Apparently he had gotten a thorough training from
Debussy:
I remember also the standard of piano playing which Debussy

himself had, and which he taught me through years of training.
[Nichols p. 170]
His interesting book The piano works of Claude Debussy gives an

aesthetic discussion of the style of Debussy, and then goes through all the
piano works with analysis and advice on interpretation. The book presents of
course the opinions of Schmitz and not necessarily what Debussy himself
said, but he was after all a student of Debussy. In addition he published in
1937 the article A Plea for the Real Debussy [Nichols p. 171].
The French pianist Maurice Dumesnil (1886-?) has given us a lot of
interesting details of Debussy's teaching in his article Coaching with
Debussy [Nichols p. 163] and in his book How to play and teach Debussy
[Dumesnil], a piano method with exercises and examples from Debussy's
piano pieces.
George Copeland (1882-1971) was an American pianist who
travelled to Paris and studied with Debussy for four months. He published
the article Debussy, the man I knew [Nichols p. 167]
Another important source is Louis Laloy, not a pianist but an
intellectual and a close friend of Debussy. He published already in the year
1909 a biography of Debussy. A chapter in his book is called "Advice on
playing Debussy's music" [Priest p. 107]. Laloy had heard Debussy several
times in concert and privat. The chapter was also endorsed by Debussy in a
letter:
There's no need to alter anything in the advice you've given for

playing my music. It remains simply to read and understand.
[Lesure & Nichols p. 209]
Besides these important sources we have several valuable

reminiscences from other people who met Debussy. We can also get some
hints through the articles and letters which Debussy himself wrote.
>>


Accuracy of interpretation Introduction
Debussy had a definite opinion on how his music was to be Accuracy of interpretation
performed, and could be very demanding on his interpreters. This is
confirmed by several accounts. Ricardo Viñes expresses this with some Artistic licence of the performer
frustration:
Musical imagination and atmosphere
In the evening, the third Durand concert in the Salle Erard, at
which I played the first set of Debussy's Images. It was such a Musical expression
success that I had to play an encore; I chose 'La soirée dans
Grenade', which I hadn't played since the first Durand concert a
Rhythm and rubato
fortnight ago. I wasn't very happy about it, especially since I knew
Debussy was there in a box and he never finds this piece played as
he wants it. [Nichols p. 193] Dynamics
The singer Ninon Vallin: Sound and colours
It was difficult to satisfy him, he was very demanding. [...] The

numerous expression marks which he introduced into his text had Technique and touch
to be observed with complete punctiliousness. [...] His keen,
sensitive ear suffered, and at the slightest mistake he would jump Pedalling
up from his chair. [Nichols p. 182]
E. Robert Schmitz emphazises the importance of following exactly
the detailed indications in the score:
Playing complete works or single pieces
I can well remember his insistence on the precision and exactitude
of the indications marked on the scores in their minutest details. References
[Schmitz p. 35]
Marguerite Long confirms this:
Debussy has left us all the indications possible for the executant of
his work. He regarded this with the utmost care, and at times was
almost fierce about it. [Long p. 13] .
She indicates that Debussy expressed the opinion that all the
performer has to do is to follow the score.
When Debussy was offered an artist of genius to sing the part of

Mélisande, [he replied]: "A faithful interpreter is sufficient."
[Long p. 13]
This would coincide with the view of Igor Stravinsky, who knew
Debussy, and who stressed the importance of music being faithfully executed
by the performer, rather than interpreted in a self-indulgant romantic way
[Stravinsky p. 121f]. Also Ravel expressed the view that his music shouldn't
be 'interpreted', but 'played'. [Perlemuter]. What these composers wanted to

avoid, was a distortion of the music because of the performer doing

something of his own which wouldn't suit the music. This idea, however,
must be viewed on the background of the tradition and ideals of the 19th-
century romantic pianist, which were quite different.
On the other hand, if we by the term 'interpret' understand 'to play
what the composer intended', it is clear that all music has to be interpreted.
Still, it can be that the interpreter is not as free in the music of Stravinsky and
Ravel, as in music of earlier composers. Whether or not this is true for
Debussy, I will investigate further in the next chapter.
>>


Artistic licence of the performer Introduction
How free can a performer of Debussy's works be? Is he allowed any Accuracy of interpretation
liberties in the interpretation? The last chapter indicated that Debussy didn't
want anything else from a performer than that he follow the indications in Artistic licence of the performer
the score. And in a concert critique Debussy praises the performer's
faithfulness to the score:
...Mme Olénine's fine musical intelligence in choosing and Musical expression

performing these pieces [Moussorgsky songs]. You couldn't wish
for a more faithful interpreter. Everything was pronounced with a Rhythm and rubato
correctness little short of miraculous. [Lesure 1977 p. 42]
During the war Debussy worked with an edition of Chopins piano Dynamics
works. In a letter addressed to Durand he says:
Sound and colours
How can you expect three manuscripts, certainly not all in
Chopin's hand, to agree with each other? Of course, only one can Technique and touch
be right... [Lesure & Nichols p. 296]
Pedalling
This would suggest that he was of the opinion that there would exist
'one right version' of a work of music, at least in the medium of a score, and
perhaps also regarding how a performer should interpret it.
The pianist Alfredo Casella, in pointing out how demanding Debussy
was, also reveals something more.
Himself so incomparable an executant, Debussy was extremely References

exacting of the interpreters of his works. Rarely indeed have I ever
seen him fully satisfied with a performance. He detested almost all
the greatly celebrated virtuosi', who are so generally quite
unmusical; on the other hand, he was well disposed toward certain
cultivated and intelligent interpreters who enjoyed no clamorous
reputation, but who loved music with the same disinterested,
sacred love as he. [Nichols p. 97]
This shows that although Debussy was very particular on

interpretation, what he valued most was a performer with a real love for the
music. Ricardo Viñes, a celebrated pianist who was trusted with so many
first performances of the works of Debussy, was still accused of being 'too
dry' {Nichols p. 148]. Debussy also said that he had heard only two fine
pianists in his lifetime:
... my old piano teacher, a small, fat lady who threw me into Bach
and who played him as no one does nowadays, making him live
[...]. The second pianist was Liszt, whom I heard in Rome.
[Nichols p. 148]

The fact that Liszt is one of the ideal pianists for Debussy, is maybe a
bit surprising, considering that Liszt was a real romantic pianist who took a
lot of liberties in his playing.
There are actually many indications that Debussy didn't always have
preconcieved conceptions on how his music were to be performed. If he
thought a pianist convincing, then he could accept other interpretations than
his own. The following story, told by Maurice Dumesnil, shows that:
Paderewski [...] once featured 'Reflets dans l'eau' on one of his

programmes. Moved by curiosity, Debussy went to the recital. He
was surprised when Paderewski played this piece daintily, with
charm, with refinement, and with a pearly technique that would
have better befitted a set of variations by Haydn and Mozart. 'It
was delightful,' he said to Paderewski. 'Not at all what I had in
mind. But please do not change an iota in your interpretation!'
[Nichols p. 161]
George Copeland, who came to study with Debussy, also tell that
Debussy wouldn't force his interpretation on him. After playing through
Reflets dans l'eau for him, Copeland was asked why he played the last two
bars in a certain way:
'It's funny,' [Debussy] said reflectively, 'That's not the way I feel
them.' But when I said, 'Then I will interpret them as you
intended,' his reply was a definite 'No, no! Go on playing them
just as you do.'[Nichols p. 165]
In 1917 the conductor Ernest Ansermet visited Debussy.
We discussed many of the tempi of his works and I asked him

some questions about the Nocturnes. He took down his score of
the Nocturnes and I saw then that this score was full of
corrections, with pencil of all colours: red pencil, blue pencil,
green pencil. I asked him, “What is right?” He said, “I don't know.
Take the score with you and bring it back in a few days and
choose what seems to you good.[Nichols p. 244]
Nocturnes was composed many years before, and even though

Debussy had conducted this work many times, he apparently thought that
some decisions were best left with the conductor.
Thus, Debussy could on some occasions be very particular on how
his music should be performed, but he could also change his opinion easily.
What can be the reason for this? The oboe player François Gillet, after the
first performance of La mer, remembered that Debussy gave a reason for
why he indicated a different tempo than the day before: "I don't feel music
the same way every day." [Nichols p. 183] Debussy gave a more extended
explanation of his view to the poet Sylvain Bonmariage around 1903:
So you really think a poem has only one meaning! Aren't you
aware that each one of your poems is transformed by each of its
readers? And it's the same with every musical score. You only
have to listen to experts talking about them. You write poems as
you like. We can draw from them the music that we like. And the
listener, or reader, finds in them the charm that he likes.
Everything is relative. I know that every work of art contains
elements that are praised and applauded without exception; and it
is easy to see that these elements are the ones most readily
understood by mediocre intelligences. [Nichols p. 112]
In this text Debussy clearly shows himself as someone who thinks

that a work can be given several interpretations, depending on the interpret.

The fact that Debussy was very particular on the interpretation of his works,
doesn't have to be a paradox. Even though a work can have several
meanings, one is not completely at liberty to do anything. One has to have an
understanding of the work and of the style. This is clear when Debussy says
"I can't tell you the extent to which my piano music has been deformed."
[Lesure & Nichols p. 222] But with an understanding of the music it is
possible to find several interpretations of the music. On those occations
where Debussy explains vey carefully how the music should be performed,
he gives his view as a performer. It doesn't necessarily mean that no other
interprations would be possible.
>>


Musical imagination and atmosphere Introduction
Debussy of course really wanted something more from a performer Accuracy of interpretation
than just following the score correctly. This is obvious from the following
story in the book by Long: Artistic licence of the performer
Some time in 1917 Debussy went to hear the Suite played by a Musical imagination and atmosphere
famous pianist.
'How was it?' I asked him on his return. Musical expression
'Dreadful. He didn't miss a note.'
'But you ought to be satisfied. You who insist on the infallible
precision of every note.' Rhythm and rubato
'Oh, not like that.' Then emphatically, 'Not like that.' [Long p. 24]
Dynamics
The same can be seen from a statement in a letter of 1909 to Durand:
Sound and colours
Mlle Féart [...] sings the notes, but there's nothing behind them. In
confidence, it's a dissappointment. [Lesure & Nichols p. 199]
Technique and touch
In another letter from the year after he also gives a hint about this.
That year he was in the jury of a clarinet competition (where his piece Pedalling
Rapsodie was played):
One of the candidates, Vandercruyssen, played it by heart and
very musically. The rest were straightforward and nondescript.
What it would mean to Debussy to play musically, I will try to find References
out more about.
After the premiére of Pelléas et Melisande Debussy wrote to the
conductor André Messager and told him how much he appreciated the
performance. In this situation it is natural that Debussy would praise the
conductor. We can still get a suggestion of what Debussy would value in a
performance.
You knew how to bring the music of Pelleas to life with a tender
delicacy I dare not hope to find elsewhere, sure as I am that in all
music the interior rhythm depends on the interpreter's evocation of
it, as a word depends on the lips that pronounce it...So your
interpretation of Pelleas was deepened by the personal feelings
you brought to it and from which stemmed that marvellous effect
of 'everything in its place'. [Lesure & Nichols p. 98]
'Everything in its place' could mean a strict and firm interpretation,

and somewhat contained. But the conductor also brought his 'personal
feelings' to the work, and Debussy emphasize that the work was brought to
life by the conductor.

It is interesting that Debussy, during a tour in Hungary, was

captivated by the musicality of a gipsy musician. He writes enthusiastically
of this in a letter:
When you listen to Radics you loose awareness of your

surroundings...you breathe the forest air and hear the sound of
streams; and it's a melancholy, confidential message from a heart
that suffers and laughs almost at the same moment...[Lesure &
Nichols p. 232]
In the same letter he also writes: “...the gypsies' freedom, their gifts
of evocation, of colour and rhythm.” This is an enthusiasm about what was
for Debussy exotic music. But the description also shows that Debussy was
aware of the important role of the musician in making the music live. The
phrase “loose awareness of your surroundings” could imply what Debussys's
idea of a good performance of music would constitute.
In a letter to Blanche Marot, Debussy praises her for her
performance:
I don't think anyone else could have sung La Damoiselle élue with
so much feeling, sensitivity and sincerity. At times you were able
to escape so totally from the material environment, it became
otherworldly, and the way you delivered the words 'Tout ceci sera
quand il viendra' remains one of the most profound musical
experiences of my life, something I'm sure I shall never forget.
To "escape from the material environment" seems to be one aspect of

music performance which Debussy thought important. This aspect he also
brings up when he writes of the playing of a young pianist which impressed
him in an audition for the conservatoire in 1909:
...the most artistic of all the candidates was a young Brazilian girl
of 13. She's not beautiful, but her eyes are 'drunk with music' and
she has the ability to cut herself off from her surroundings which
is the rare but characteristic mark of the artist. [Lesure & Nichols
p. 216]
Debussy sometimes compared his music to improvisation, maybe in

an attempt to describe the dreamy aspect of the music. In a letter of 1910,
after a rehearsel on Ibéria, he wrote:
You can't imagine how naturally the transition works between

'Parfums de la nuit' and 'Le matin d'un jour de fête'. It sounds as
though it's improvised... The way it comes to life, with people and
things waking up. [Lesure & Nichols p. 217]
Debussy is also supposed to have said that he wanted to write music

with a form so free that it would sound improvised. [Orenstein p. 159] This
gives of course performers a clue as to how the music should be understood.
>>


Musical expression Introduction
Now I will investigate what kind of expression Debussy was after in Accuracy of interpretation
his music. Maurice Dumesnil describes the ideals that Debussy had for a
performance like this: Artistic licence of the performer
Clarity was certainly one of his major preoccupations. Another Musical imagination and atmosphere
was simplicity in expression. 'Pas d'affection, surtout!' No
affection, no mannerisms. Here once more one finds an echo from Musical expression
the great harpsichordist' creed, from the supreme good taste of
Rameau, Couperin, Lully, Dandrieu, Chambonnières, Daquin and
others. [Nichols p. 161] Rhythm and rubato
Thus clarity and a somewhat restrained expression. Debussy hints Dynamics

himself to this: that he prefered a not to extrovert expression. In a letter of
1909, following a performance of Pelléas et Melisande in London, he wrote Sound and colours
this about the conductors interpretation:
Technique and touch
Campanini understands the work fairly well - a little too extrovert
- but at least it's warm and alive. [Lesure & Nichols p. 199]
Pedalling
Louis Laloy cautions against emotional outburst such as is common
in romantic music: The visual performance in a concert
Conductors will do well to forget Berlioz and Wagner as Playing complete works or single pieces
completely as this can be done; no contrasts here, and, above all,
none of those sentimental outbursts in which our instrumentalists - References
corrupted by their repertoire - unfortunately indulge as soon as
they are asked to be expressive. [Priest p. 103]
Marguerite Long says that Debussy criticized certain interpretations

of Voiles as being too colourful:
"It is not a photograph of the beach, or a postcard for 15th

August!" he said. [Long p. 63]
From George Copeland we have an advice about which approach

performers of his music ought to have:
When I asked him why so few people were able to play his music,
Debussy replied, after some reflection: 'I think it is because they
try to impose themselves upon the music. It is necessary to
abandon yourself completely, and let the music do as it will with
you - to be a vessel through which it passes. [Nichols p. 167]
So the perfomer must not force an exaggerated expression onto the

music - it should flow naturally. This is consistent with what Laloy says:

The first requirements for playing such music is that it should not
be considered difficult. Those who hear only dissonances in it, or
search fruitlessly for the melody which is so obvious to others,
must be advised to continue with their meditations until they
receive grace, or else to give up, and abstain. When the performer
has sensed what is there, he must not exert himself to put in what
is not there, and particularly not 'effects'. [Priest p. 107]
Further Laloy says something about the continuity and the flow in the
music that performers should keep in mind:
Everything must follow on and hold together. This music must be

bathed in harmony; it will not tolerate any ugliness, even
intelligent ugliness. [Priest p. 109]
Everything has to follow on naturally. Laloy elaborates on this in

another passage by discussing what he calls “unity of tone”:
... the secret of unity which is not guaranteed by external means,

does not have signposts, but relies on the natural succesion of
impressions. It is the unity of a character, of a landscape; in a
word, it is unity of tone. [Priest p. 82]
Laloy explains what he means by unity of tone, by contrasting

Debussy's style with romantic music. In romantic music different musical
ideas are juxtaposed, and it is important to bring forth the contrasts. But in
Debussy everything follows on, and one should not notice the transitions.
This means that the performer has to connect very well all the parts into a
whole, so that everything grows out of the same atmosphere. The
performance has to have unity and continuity:
The quality which matters most is unity of tone. Anything which

disturbs it, portamenti, interruptions of the rhythm, arbitrary
retardations or accelerandi, is not only unnecessary, but disastrous.
Moreover, it would be better to mistake completely the spirit of a
piece, for example to play 'Pagodes' playfully, or 'La Soirée dans
Grenade' in the manner of a bullfighter on guard, than abruptly to
break the spell with a jab or a grimace. [Priest p. 107]
Laloy wrote this in 1909, before many of the most important piano
works of Debussy were composed. It still seems that this view generally is an
important part of the Debussy aesthetics, since it is also confirmed in other
sources. George Copeland thus tells us that Debussy was particularily fond
of his (Copeland's) piano arrangement of L'après-midi d'un faune, because of
the unity and continuity one thereby could achieve:
He was particularly delighted with my piano version of L'après-

midi d'un faune, agreeing with me that in the orchestral rendering,
which called for different instruments, the continuity of the
procession of episodes was disturbed. [Nichols p. 166]
This account also shows that Debussy didn't want sharp contrasts in
the musical progression, but soft transitions. That this not only applies to
L'après-midi d'un faune, is clear from an advice by Dumesnil. The performer
should avoid an uneven and "chopped up" interpretation, even in rythmic,
humoristic pieces:
In the pieces of a rhythmic, humoristic character, one must be

most careful not to exaggerate, not to over-emphasize a sense of
humor which must always remain truly “Gallic”, discreet and
refined. Likewise, make it a point to respect a general unity of the

rhythmic line. This will avoid a “chopped up”, “jerky”

interpretation. [Dumesnil p. 23]
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Rhythm and rubato Introduction
In a conversation with his former teacher Ernest Guiraud, Debussy Accuracy of interpretation
spoke about his ideas for a new kind of music. He explained his idea of a
flowing rhythm: Artistic licence of the performer
Rhythms cannot be contained within bars. It is nonsense to speak Musical imagination and atmosphere
of 'simple' and 'composed' time. There should be an interminable
flow of them both without seeking to bury the rhythmic patterns. Musical expression
[Lockspeiser (1962) p. 206]
This idea of a flowing rhythm was also hinted at in the last chapter: Rhythm and rubato
"It is necessary to abandon yourself completely, and let the music do as it
will with you - to be a vessel through which it passes." [Nichols p. 167] Dynamics
This would mean that sudden changes in rubato, something that was
Sound and colours
common for pianists in the romantic era, should be avoided. At the same
time it is important that the music doesn't become stiff and mechanic. It
Technique and touch
should flow freely and naturally. Schmitz, in his book, says just this:
In Debussy interpretation an overabundance of rubato, of arbitrary Pedalling

fluctuations in tempo, has long been current; yet performance
metronomically throughout, in his works, is just as unthinkable. The visual performance in a concert
[Schmitz p. 38]
Dumesnil tells us that Debussy insisted that the triplets in Hommage
à Rameau be completely rhtythmical [Nichols p. 158]. Also in Clair de lune
References
it was important that the triplets were strictly in tempo, "but within a general
flexibility." [Nichols p. 159].
In romantic music triplets, when they act as contrast to the regular

rhtythm, are often played with a kind of rubato where the first tone is
prolonged with an agogic accent [Philip; Hudson]. This is not what Debussy
wants, but they should still be "flexible". According to Dumesnil, Debussy's
view was that rubato should rather be done on the phrase as a whole.
[Nichols p. 159].
In the two first bars of Reflets dans l'eau, Dumesnil describes such a
rubato where the whole phrase is flexible:

“Tempo rubato” applies to the delivery of the two bars as a whole,

not to any individual beats. One can start slowly, get slightly faster
in the middle, “easing up” again towards the end. [Dumesnil p.
15]
Dumesnil also tells about his experience of playing Poissons d'or for
Debussy, and there is some frustration in the text over not quite
understanding Debussy's idea of rhythm and flow in this piece:
With 'Poissons d'or' it was indeed difficult to satisfy Debussy.

'Jouez plus librement,' he would repeat. I thought I did play with
great freedom, but it was not enough. [...] Toward the middle he
spoke again: 'Plus gracieux, plus élégant.' But when I complied, he
said: 'Jouez plus simplement.' I came to the conclusion that the
interpretation of Ricardo Viñes, to whom 'Poissons d'or' is
dedicated, had become inseparable from his own conception; so I
took it as a model and susequently won approval.[Nichols p. 160]
From this account one understands that Debussy was after a

considerable amount of freedom and flexibility in the piece, and that it
should by no means be played mechanically. Still it should have some
simplicity. It is thus clear that Debussy's rubato is different from the typical
romantic rubato, where impulsiveness and sudden tempo changes are
common, and where one can stretch single notes with an agogic accent. The
phrases should on the contrary have a natural flexibility.
Terms like "flexible" and "natural" are rather unspecific. Debussy
would seem to prefer not to describe rubato, rhythm and tempo in great
detail. He said something about this in a letter to Manuel de Falla. De Falla
was to perform a piano version of Danses (originally for harp and orchestra),
in Madrid, and had evidently written to Debussy for advice on performance
of the work. Debussy writes back 13th of january 1907:
What you ask is rather hard to give a definite answer to! It's not
possible to write down the exact form of a rhythm, any more than
it is to explain the different effects of a single phrase! The best
thing, I think, is to be guided by how you feel...The colour of the
two dances seems to me to be clearly defined. There's something
to be got out of the passage between the 'gravity' of the first one
and the 'grace' of the second; for a musician such as yourself that
will not be difficult, and I am quite happy to leave the
performance to your good taste.[Lesure & Nichols p. 176]
Edgar Varèse, who knew Debussy, also asked Debussy for advice on
performance, and requested metronom indications for Pelléas. 12th of juli
1910 Debussy answered:
Send me the Pelléas score and, although I have no confidence in

metronome markings, I'll do what you ask.[Lesure & Nichols p.
222]

There do exist some metronom markings in Debussy scores.

However, in a letter to his publisher Durand 9th of october 1915, we can read
about how sceptical he was to fixate the tempo like this. His opinion was that
the performer ought to "hear" the piece himself and "feel" the natural tempo:
You know what I think about metronome marks: they're right for a
single bar, like 'roses, with a morning life'. Only there are 'those'
who don't hear music and who take these marks as authority to
hear it still less! But do what you please.[Lesure & Nichols p.
305]
There are hardly any traces in the written sources of what Debussy's
opinion on dotted rhythm was. A dotted rhythm was often performed
overdotted in the beginning of the 20th century [Philip]. It would seem that
Debussy had a more modern view in that the rhythms should be performed
exactly, since he stressed that triplets should be played "strictly in tempo".
However, according to Howat, the french pianist Marcel Ciampi (1891-?)
claimed that Debussy wanted the ostinato rhythm of the habanera in La
puerta del vino and La soirée dans Grenade overpunktert overdotted.
[Howat (1995) p. 13]
>>


Dynamics Introduction
Many sources report that Debussy's playing was delicate and subdued Accuracy of interpretation
[Long; Vallas]. Was this his ideal? One account from George Copeland says
something about Debussy's ideas on soft playing. When he met Debussy for Artistic licence of the performer
the first time and was going to play for him, Debussy said:
The piano [...] was draped with a silk scarf held in place by a
heavy cloisonné vase. I asked permission to move the vase, so that Musical expression
I might open the piano cover. 'Absolument non!' he replied with
obvious annoyance. 'Do not touch it! I never permit that anyone
Rhythm and rubato
should open my piano. As it is, everyone plays my music too
loud.'[Nichols p. 164]
Dynamics
Dumesnil tells us about the instruction he received from Debussy
about playing the music. Debussy said that dynamic effects should not be Sound and colours
exaggerated:
Technique and touch
At the crescendo leading to the climax, marked ff, he stopped at
my side: 'Please do not overdo this crescendo. It sounds too
Pedalling
dramatic; start more softly and you will reach the same effect
without impairing the quality of your tone. [Nichols p. 159]
Dumesnil goes on:
Remembering his previous remarks about dramatizing, I tried to
keep the middle part [of Clair de lune] moderate. But I guess I
still overdid it: 'No,' he said, 'you exaggerate both the crescendo References
and the rubato. The latter must be done within the entire phrase,
never on a single beat.' And the expression had to remain
dignified. [Nichols p. 159]
Thus Debussy wanted a crescendo that was not exaggerated, to

"remain dignified". But Debussy was definitely not after a monotonous
sound, something he was accused for in concert critiques [Vallas]. The above
quotation shows that Debussy was after more subtle effects, that would not
ruin the quality of the sound.
E. Robert Schmitz also comments on how Debussy preferred the
more subtle crescendos rather than exaggerated dramatic ones:
Crescendos in those days were one of Debussy's obsessions in

piano playing. He liked slight crescendos, a ppp increasing into a
mere pp. Such tiny changes were meaningful and important to his
art. So many pianists, who play Debussy today, overlook his
crescendo markings. Seeing the sign, ppp then a crescendo, they
seldom bother to look for the volume mark at the other end of that
crescendo. Immediately they spurt of into an fff. It is such

carelessness which makes so much of Debussy's music for piano

sound jerky, heaving, rather than delicately flowing and wistful,
sustained, the way it was originally intended by him to be.
[Nichols p. 171]
It seems that subtle nuances were important for Debussy. Dumesnil's

method book contains some interesting exercises in subtle nuances. These
concentrate on playing chords pianissimo, and to be able to play a
diminuendo from pp and fading. He regarded this as essential for playing
Debussy well [Dumesnil p. 8].
In the same book he urge more moderate fortissimo climaxes: "...in
all of Debussy's compositions, keep the “fortissimo” climaxes moderate."
[Dumesnil p. 23].:
E. Robert Schmitz on the other hand is of the opinion that one should
not limit the dynamics in any way in the music of Debussy. He makes a point
of the authority the score:
It is, then, in the works that we find the answer to his pianistic
style and demands in performance, and not in hearsay reports of
his “violent attacks on the keyboard” or his “constant pianissimo”
playing. [Schmitz p. 35]
He points out that the works of Debussy uses the resources of the
piano to the full extent, with a dynamic range from fff to ppp, and needs all
kinds of nuances and articulation. Still I think Schmitz would agree with
Laloy who says that the music "will not tolerate any ugliness, even
intelligent ugliness." [Priest p. 109]. If the music of Debussys sometimes
demands a full sonority, so must the sound never be ugly.
>>


Sound and colours Introduction
Sound in Debussy; what does it mean? Accuracy of interpretation
Pianists like to vary the sound by using different kinds of touch. Artistic licence of the performer
Obviously one cannot alter the sound of one single tone on the piano, beyond
changing the loudness of it, although one can create different types of Musical imagination and atmosphere
articulation. One can understand sound in piano playing as the relationship
between several tones. A chord can be given different sound by varying the Musical expression
loudness of different notes in the chord. A perception of sound can also
Rhythm and rubato
result from how the loudness between each note in a phrase is, in that smooth
transitions between the tones creates a soft sound. In addition one can
Dynamics
understand sound simply as dynamics: a subdued sound is soft.
Dumesnil's book includes exercises in bringing out different notes of
Sound and colours
the same chord, and in that way experiment with the sound. [Dumesnil p.10]
Octaves, he says, can also be coloured by bringing out different notes. Technique and touch
A refined and nuanced sound is very important in Debussy's music.
E. Robert Schmitz said that "The nuance, to Debussy, was everything." Pedalling
[Nichols p. 169] Dumesnil mentions several examples where Debussy said
something about sound i the performance of piano pieces. In Hommage à The visual performance in a concert
Rameau Debussy wanted a nuances octave sound:
Debussy: In those first bars I would like the right hand slightly
more prominent than the left hand. Octaves sound flat when
References
played with the same tone volume in both hands. [Nichols p. 159]
Dumesnil further describes how Debussy wanted considerable

freedom and a light sound in the accompaniment of Poissons d'or:
Those initial accompaniment figures - they had to be lighter,

almost immaterial, so one could hear 'two clarinets' up above.
[Nichols p. 160]
To imagine the music orchestrated is a well known way of thinking

for pianists to achieve a certain sound, and a method Debussy made use of.
Debussy often thought in terms of orchestration. Concerning the

second section of 'Clair de lune', he said, 'The left-hand arpeggios
should be fluid, mellow, drowned in pedal, as if played by a harp
on a background of strings.' But he did not tolerate any confusion
and insisted on the purity of each harmonic pattern. [Nichols p.
160]
Dumesnil emphazise that Debussy didn't always want just a light

sound:

It would be a mistake to believe that Debussy always spoke in

terms of softness, elusive approach, two-pedal effects, etc. In the
suite 'Pour le piano', for instance, it was another story. Here he
demanded a totally different conception, one of robust precision.
The same holds true for 'L'isle joyeuse', 'Masques' and the study
'Pour les octaves,' to mention only a few. [Nichols p. 161]
"Sound" in piano playing can often not be considered separate, but

will be connected with touch, pedalling, and maybe also tempo. Debussy was
known for his creative pedalling and original touch, something which created
a very special sound. Dumesnil tells us what Debussy said about sound in
Reflets dans l'eau, and that pedalling and touch was very important means to
achieve this:
The remarks dealing with 'Reflets dans l'eau' were illuminating.

From the first, the chord background ought to be subdued; played
with laterally moving fingers, drowned in pedal, once more. 'I do
not hear the bells,' Debussy commented. [Nichols p. 160]
Debussy thus thought that it would help to imagine the sound of

bells. Dumesnil points out that it was important for Debussy that the pianist
should listen, in order to achieve the right sound:
'Faites confidence à votre oreille', a remark that is not surprising

from a musician whose aim had always been the pleasure of the
ear as against rigid rules and pedagogic pedantry. [Nichols p. 162]
Melody and accompaniment
Pianists are used to differentiate between melody and

accompaniment, and bring forth the melody by giving it another sound.
Louis Laloy warns against doing this in music of Debussy:
Pianists must give up the presumption of 'bringing out the tune';

when thoroughly understood, the melody will take on by itself the
slight prominence which is needed; to insist would be to fall into
Romantic affection. [Priest p. 108]
Even though there are melody and accompaniment, or foreground

and background, in the music of Debussy, one should not emphasize the
melody too strongly. Laloy says something similar in an advice to
conductors:
It is unnecessary to seek to modify the perspective, as one so

willingly does for the Classics; brandishers of the baton draw out
at will such and such timbre from the orchestral mass into the
foreground. [...] Each detail is in its place and must remain there;
each detail has been calculated for the total effect, and the effect
would be compromised by the slightest alteration of the balance.
[Priest p. 107]

This is in accordance with what I arrived at in the chapter "Musical

expression". In Debussy one shouldn't have strong contrasts, but rather small
nuances. A small and refined contrast between foreground and background
creates a soft and natural sound. Marguerite Long confirms that Debussy
didn't like pianists who brought forth the melody too much, because it was
done at the expense of other elements in the music:
'The fifth finger of virtuosi, what a pest it is!' What he meant by

that is that too often one hammers the melody without attaching
sufficient importance to the whole harmony; harmony that,
according to him, should never be sacrificed to the melodic idea.
[Long p. 13]
Dumesnil, where he writes on the performance of the beginning of

Danseuses de Delphes, emphasizes that the differentiation between the
melody and accompaniment should be achieved by creating a different tone
quality. In this piece the melody is in the middle register with chords above
it, making it hard for the listener to distinguish.
The middle voice, 'legato', must be played with a certain firmness,

while the chords, as well as the octaves of the bass, should be
performed in a soft relaxed, and floating manner. However, this
effect must be achieved only through difference of attack and tone
quality, not by playing the middle voice louder. [Dumesnil p. 21]
The idea that the melody can be given a different tone quality,
without playing it louder, is controversial, but it at least shows that the
melody even here shouldn't be hammered out. To focus on touch and sound,
and not just dynamics, must have been an important approach for Debussy.
A soft, subdued sound?
Karl Lahm mentions that Debussy had an interesting conception of

colour and overtones:
In the salon of a musically inclined countess, he showed at the

piano that colour depends on the correct handling of the overtones,
which must not be obtrusive. [Nichols p. 123]
What this actually means, is not easy to understand. Maybe it just

means that Debussy sought a soft, subdued sound, since a lot of overtones
means a sharper sound. Almost all descriptions of Debussy as a pianist (see
Debussy at the piano) stress his soft sound. Debussy is known to have said
that pianists should imagine a piano without hammers, to achieve this sound.
Léon Vallas, writes this in his book on Debussy:
He was an original virtuoso, remarkable for the delicacy and

mellowness of his touch. He made one forget that the piano has
hammers - an effect which he used to request his interpreters to
aim at. [Vallas p. 108]

Marguerite Long also emphasizes this:
'One must forget that the piano has hammers,' was one of his most
frequent sayings. [Long p. 13]
Dumesnil mentions the special sound one can get by using the left
pedal, but still playing loudly: "The tone will preserve a round, full, rich
singing quality, but of a lesser volume" [Dumesnil p. 14]. One could also say
that this would create a big, but soft and mellow sound.
Louis Laloy points out that many runs and rapid figurations are not
meant for virtuosic display, but as a background sound:
But pianists must no more draw attention to what they quite

wrongly call runs, that is those rapid figurations whose function is
to envelop the main tunes, to trace a harmony for them with lines,
according to the very character of the piano, and to give vivacity
to the background. It would be better to blur these patterns, even
to let slip some wrong notes, as amateurs do, than to overcome the
difficulties they present in a triumphant manner, and look for
applause by preening like a gymnast. [Priest p. 108]
This passages should be played subdued so that they remain in the

background, something which can be more of a challange that playing them
in a virtuosic way. Laloy concludes his advice on playing Debussy by saying
this on sound:
Finally, euphony is required throughout [...] It is advisable that the

artist develop the habit of listening to himself [...] [and] that [he],
in short, maintain softness in strength, and strength in softness.
[Priest p. 109]
>>


Technique and touch Introduction
In this section I will concentrate on how Debussy viewed the Accuracy of interpretation
technical aspects of piano playing. The type of touch a pianist will choose,
depends on the sound he wants to achieve. In the following quote by Artistic licence of the performer
Dumesnil (also in the section "Sound and colours"), he explains how
Debussy connected sound and touch:
The remarks dealing with Reflets dans l'eau were illuminating. Musical expression
from the first, the chord background ought to be subdued; played
with laterally moving fingers, drowned in pedal, once more. 'I do Rhythm and rubato
not hear the bells,' Debussy commented. I gave more tone, but it
was not of the proper quality. 'Keep your left hand hanging
loosely from your wrist. Then let it drop, and let the tip of your Dynamics
third finger play those notes,' he said. [Nichols p. 160]
Sound and colours
Technique and touch
Pedalling
Debussy here describes how to achieve a sound of "bells" with a References

special touch. E. Robert Schmitz also writes about this kind of touch:
One must learn to play Debussy's music as he played it himself,

striking each note as though it were a
bell, listening always for the
hovering clusters of vibrating overtones above and below it.
[Nichols p. 171]
In these instances the pedal must be used, to create resonance, and the
key should not be held. Debussy was very particular on the right kind of
touch:
Another thing Debussy insisted upon was the proper way to strike
a note on the piano. 'It must be
struck in a peculiar way,' he would
say, 'otherwise the sympathetic vibrations of the other notes will
not be heard quivering distantly in the air.' [Nichols p. 171]
Louis Laloy confirms that a tone should often be held in the pedal,
and not by the fingers. This means that one shouldn't play Debussy with the
fingers glued to the keys:

Often notes are accompanied by a sign which was quite rarely

used up to now, which is a small dash.
Some people think they
must detach these notes, others think they must intensify them; but
what is
asked for is a transparent sonority; it can be achieved by a
clean and never harsh attack, which is
prolonged by the pedal,
with the finger leaving the key immediately. [Priest p. 108]
Thus according to Laloy this kind of attack is indicated with a dash.

That is interesting, because this notation is not always understood by pianists
in that way.
I have elsewhere mentioned the carezzando-touch. Dumesnil gives
and description of this kind of touch, and recommends it for pianissimo-
effects. This kind of touch probably also depends on using the pedal.
In order to achieve certain "pianissimo" effects (on single notes

principally), it is better to replace the
direct attack at a right angle,
by an oblique, slanting, indirect attack, which will bring the finger
in
contact with the key progressively. [Dumesnil p. 13]
Debussy was very concerned with sensitive fingers. Dumesnil

remembers this as one of Debussy's most important instructions:
'Play with more sensitiveness in the finger tips. Play chords as if

the keys were being attracted to your
finger tips, and rose to your
hand as to a magnet.' [Dumesnil p. 9]
Laloy also writes about sensitive fingers: "The pianist, paying

attention to his touch, should feel the sound in his fingertips." [Priest p. 109].
This would indicate a closeness to the keyboard, even though the tones
shouldn't necessarily be held by the fingers. According to Timbrell, Yvonne
Lefébure was instructed by Debussy in Jardin sous la pluie to hold the
fingers near the keys:
[Debussy] showed her how to get the right sounds for the left-
hand chords on the final two pages of Jardin sous la pluie, using a
formed hand position and outstretched fingers that stayed close to
the keys and kneaded them. "Hands are not made to be in the air
above the piano, but to enter inside." [Timbrell (2000) p. 12]
Marguerite Long referred the same expression from Debussy:
The hands are not meant to hover in the air over the piano, put to
enter into it. [Long p. 13]
Dumesnil tells us about Debussy's opinion on arm relaxation, which

was something new in piano technique at the time:
From time to time he spoke on relaxation; it was becoming a fad

among pianists, and they carried it to the extreme. 'It is not
advisable to use relaxation constantly,' he said. 'In pianissimo
chords, for instance, the fingers must have a certain firmness, so
the notes will sound together. But it must be the firmness of
rubber, without any stiffness whatsoever.' [Nichols p. 162]
Thus Debussy was, despite his soft touch, of the opinion that fingers
should be firm. Typical for the french jeu perlé was passages played quickly,
lightly and clearly. Le vent dans la plaine and Feux d'artifices both opens
with quick and subdued passage-work, similar to jeu perlé. However,
Dumesnil warns against performing these to mechanically:
In these, and other compositions where “light virtuosity” play a

great part, be most careful never to become mechanical. Although

of a rapid, running character, too much evident articulation would
produce dryness. Here again, a close attack is necessary, with
extremely quick and light motion of the finger tips. [Dumesnil p.
22]
>>


Pedalling Introduction
Pedalling was very important in the playing of Debussy (see the Accuracy of interpretation
section Debussy at the piano: use of pedal). Debussy marked however almost
never any pedalling in the score. According to Dumesnil, he gave a reason Artistic licence of the performer
for this:
Pedalling cannot be written down,' he explained. 'It varies from
one instrument to another, from one room, or one hall, to another.' Musical expression
[Nichols p. 162]
Rhythm and rubato
There still exists some concrete advise by Debussy on how to use the
pedal. Regarding Clair de Lune he suggested to put down both pedals before
Dynamics
one start, "in order to let the overtones vibrate" [Nichols p. 159]. To use both
pedals at the same time, was apparently an effect that Debussy liked. In
Sound and colours
Pagodes he indicates this by writing "2 ped", one of the few pedal
indications that exists in Debussy's works. Technique and touch
The question whether Debussy wanted the music blured by the pedal,
is central, and highly debated among pianists. Dumesnil warns against this: Pedalling
He also gave me a wonderful object lesson in pedalling fast

passages. I realize how many interpreters are misled by the
famous blur so often associated with Debussy's piano music. He
wanted the pedal used in long harmonic strokes, without breaks or Playing complete works or single pieces
confusion. Occasionally he allowed the pedal to encroach a tiny
fraction from one harmony into the next, similarly to what one References
does when practising the five-finger exercise C,D,E,F,G legato by
lifting one finger just an instant after one plays the next. In any
case, the blur should be used only for special effects, and with
utmost discretion. [Nichols p. 160]
E. Robert Schmitz, on the prélude Le vent dans la plaine:
Do not melt together the sounds of the opening trill, of which

various forms are used nearly throughout the prélude. These
figures must be very light but with each note distinct. A very
superficial forte pedal may be used or none at all. [Schmitz p. 138]

Debussy, in a letter of 1915, writes himself about the pedal, and

warns that the pedal can become a means to covering up bad playing:
I have very clear memories of what Mme Mauté de Fleurville told

me. He (Chopin) recommended practising without pedal and, in
performance, not holding it on except in very rare instances. It was
the same way of turning the pedal into a kind of breathing which I
observed in Liszt when I had the chance to hear him in Rome. I
feel Saint-Saëns forgets that pianists are poor musicians, for the
most part, and cut music up into unequal lumps, like a chicken.
The plain truth perhaps is that abusing the pedal is only a means of
covering up a lack of technique, and that making a lot of noise is a
way to drown the music you're slaughtering! In theory we should
be able to find a graphic means of representing this 'breathing'
pedal...it wouldn't be impossible. Come to think of it, isn't there a
work on the subject by Mme Marie Jaëll, who was severe in the
matter of piano technique? [Lesure & Nichols p. 301.]
Debussy's works often implies the use of pedal, even if it is not

explicitly written, because he writes bass notes that cannot be held without
the help of the pedal. At the same time there are often chord changes that
requires the pedal to be lifted in order to avoid blurring. Pianists often
achieve a satisfying effect by using half pedalling, like Perlemuter
recommends (Perlemuter didn't hear Debussy play, but studied with Ravel):
Something which is a guide-line for Ravel's music as well as that

of Debussy: a light vibration of the foot on the pedal which, if
successful, allows a bass note to be held through the changes of
harmony. They quickly die away, leaving the bass note sounding
at the end. [Perlemuter & Jourdan-Morhange p. 14]
There are however no sources that say explicitly that Debussy used
this technique, but it is probable, because many mentions his refined pedal
technique
There would still be cases where Debussy wanted a blurred sound,
but only in certain places, as an effect. About a place in reflets dans l'eau,
Dumesnil says:
Here, Debussy wanted the first measure all blurred in damper

pedal (no soft pedal). The second measure with the soft pedal
alone, as an echo heard from afar. [Dumesnil p. 16]
Dumesnil also writes, quite categorically, that runs, arpeggios and

passages should be blured in pedal:
All runs, arpeggios and passages must always be treated from the
“sonorous”, the “harmonic”, and the “vibrating” standpoint; never
as a display of finger velocity. Therefore the damper pedal must
be used very much when playing them. They must never be
performed in a “neat and crisp” fashion, but literally drowned into
what might be called a “wave of tone”. [Dumesnil p. 12]
>>



The visual performance in a concert Introduction
The typical romantic virtuoso-pianists from the 19th century, were Accuracy of interpretation
not just pianists trying to render a "correct" performance of a piece. They
were entertainers, making a show for the audience. Elegant movements, Artistic licence of the performer
lifting the hands high and showing the music through body movements and
facial expression was something that could impress an audience. Debussy
wrote somehow sarcastically in a critique of 1901 in La Revue Blanche about
Musical expression
this kind of virtuoso:
[musicians] more interested in the orchestral pantomime than in Rhythm and rubato
anything really artistic. The attraction that binds the virtuoso to his
public seems much the same as that which draws the crowds to the Dynamics
circus: we always hope that something dangerous is going to
happen. M. Ysaÿe is going to play the violin with M. Colonne on
Sound and colours
his shoulders. Or M. Pugno will finish by seizing the piano
between his teeth... None of these acrobatics materialized. [Lesure
(1977) p. 26] Technique and touch
In another article in Gil Blas of 1903 Debussy writes about the young Pedalling
Alfred Cortot, later to be known as an interpreter of modern french piano
music, including Debussy. But at this time he was more known as a The visual performance in a concert
conductor:
Of all French conductors, M. Cortot is the one who has learned
most from the pantomine customary among German conductors . .
References
. He has Nikisch's lock of hair (although he is in fact Hungarian),
and we find this most attractive because it waves passionately at
the least nuance in the music. See how it falls, sad and weary, at
any hint of tenderness! So much so that it prevents any
communication between M. Cortot and the orchestra. Then, at the
warlike passages, it proudly stands on end again, and just at this
moment M. Cortot bears down on the orchestra and threatens them
with his menacing bâton. [...] He is young, and he has an open-
minded love of music; good enough reasons why we shouldn't be
too hard on him for using gestures that are more decorative than
they are useful. [Lesure (1977) p. 164]
>>


Playing complete works or single pieces Introduction
Ricardo Viñes, who gave the first performance of many of the Accuracy of interpretation
Debussy works, was one pianist who began giving concerts presenting
complete works, with a profile [Brody p. 53]. This was not that usual at the Artistic licence of the performer
time, as it is today. Normally a concert would be a mix of very different
pieces, often single movements. Viñes performed the complete pour le
piano, the complete Estampes, the complete Images I and Images II when he
Musical expression
premiered the works.
This was probably also something Debussy thought important. In Rhythm and rubato
1890 the Fantasie for piano and orchestra was to be performed in one of the
concerts of Société Nationale de Musique. D'Indy was the conductor, and he Dynamics
decided to perform only the first movement, since the program turned out to
be too long. However, at the rehearsel Debussy quietly removed the scores Sound and colours
from the musicians, so they ended up playing nothing! [Lesure & Nichols p.
30] He gave the reason for this stunt in a letter, addressed to D'Indy: Technique and touch
It seems to me that playing just the first movement of the Fantasie Pedalling
is not only dangerous but must inevitably give a false impression
of the whole. On reflection, I would rather have a passable
performance of all three movements than a fine performance of The visual performance in a concert
the first through your good offices. [Lesure & Nichols p. 30]
In another letter many years later (1907), he writes to his friend
Gabriel Pierné, who conducted the orchestra works of Debussy several times, References
that he preferred a performance of La Mer in its entirety, and not single
movements [Lesure & Nichols p. 185].
Debussy still often chose only a few pieces from his Préludes, to play
in his concerts. A reason could be that he didn't want to attempt the more
difficult ones in public. But also
Viñes did selections from the Préludes, and it could be that Debussy
didn't think of the Préludes as a work that had to be performed in its entirety.


References Introduction
Brody, Elaine: Accuracy of interpretation
“Viñes in Paris”. Edward H. Clinkscale & Claire Brook (red.): A Artistic licence of the performer
Musical Offering. Essays in honor of Martin Bernstein
(Pendragon Press: New York 1977) Musical imagination and atmosphere
Clevenger, John R.: Musical expression
“Debussy's Paris Conservatoire Training”. Jane F. Fulcher (red.): Rhythm and rubato
Debussy and His World (Princeton University Press 2001)
Dynamics
Dumesnil, Maurice:
How To Play and Teach Debussy (Schroeder & Gunther: New Sound and colours
York 1932). Online version here.
Technique and touch
Eigeldinger, Jean-Jacques:
Pedalling
Chopin, pianist and teacher (Cambridge University Press 1986)
Howat, Roy 1995:
“What do we perform?” Rink, John (red.): The practice of
performance. Studies in musical interpretation. (Cambridge
References
University Press 1995)
Howat, Roy 1997:
“Debussy's piano music: sources and performance”. Langham

Smith (red.):
Debussy studies (Cambridge University Press 1997)
Hudson, Richard:
Stolen Time – the History of Tempo Rubato (Clarendon Press:

Oxford 1994)
Lesure, Francois 1977:
Debussy on Music, translation Richard Langham Smith (New

York 1977)
Lesure, François 1987:
“Une interview romaine de Debussy (février 1914)”. Cahiers
http://djupdal.org/karstein/debussy/method/references.shtml[26/02/2017 06:07:04 p. m.]

Debussy vol. 11 (1987)
Lesure & Nichols:
Debussy Letters (London 1987)
Lockspeiser, Edward 1962:
Debussy: his life and mind I (London 1962)
Lockspeiser, Edward 1965:
Debussy: his life and mind II (London 1965)
Long, Marguerite:
At the piano with Claude Debussy (J. M. Dent & Sons Ltd:
London 1972)
Nichols, Roger:
Debussy Remembered (London 1992)
Orenstein, Arbie:
Ravel: Man and Musician (London 1975)
Perlemuter, V. & Jourdan-Morhange, H.:
Ravel according to Ravel (Kahn & Averill: London 1988)
Philip, Robert:
Early Recordings and Musical Style (Cambridge University Press

1992)
Priest, Deborah:
Louis Laloy on Debussy, Ravel and Stravinsky (Ashgate:

Aldershot 1999)
Schmitz, E. R.:
The piano works of Claude Debussy (Dover: New York 1966)
Stravinsky, Igor:
Poetics of Music (Harvard University Press 2000)
Vallas, Léon:
Claude Debussy, his life and works (Dover: London 1973)
http://djupdal.org/karstein/debussy/method/references.shtml[26/02/2017 06:07:04 p. m.]

A Piano Method by Claude Debussy

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A piano method by Claude Debussy

Karstein Djupdal >> Debussy >> piano method