Musical Impressionism
A replicant
Any suggestions on some non-Debussy impressionist composers, any
good references (for non-technical description) which would have
maybe a chapter on impressionism... I'd also like to hear your
descriptions of what this sort of music is-
--
--
"It's still hard for me to have a clear mind thinking on it.
But it's the truth even if it didn't happen."(One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest)
---Erik Pohl at ep...@hubcap.clemson.edu----------------------------------
Vance Maverick
I'd like to learn more about the sounds of musical impressionism.
Any suggestions on some non-Debussy impressionist composers, any
good references (for non-technical description) which would have
maybe a chapter on impressionism... I'd also like to hear your
descriptions of what this sort of music is-
Essentially, "impressionism" in music is the mature style of Debussy.
The other big-name composer called impressionist is Ravel, and
certainly some of his earlier music, like _Daphnis et Chloe_, clearly
echoes the sound of Debussy's famous pieces; but he moved on to other
things fast. Foreshadowings of this sound can be heard in Chausson
and Faure', but the effect is very different. [In the Chausson
_Poeme_, for example, long stretches go by where practically every
chord is some kind of seventh; but in that music, it matters where
these "dominants" seem to lead, as it often does not in Debussy.] So
I'd claim that "impressionism" is either Debussy or an imitation; and
since Debussy's oeuvre is not large, it's easier to just go listen to
it than to try to make sense of a "nontechnical" description.
Vance
Vance Maverick
Ravel wrote that when he published his (thoroughly impressionistic)
piano piece "Jeux d'eau" in 1901, the only significant piece that
Debussy had published was the (very good but non-impressionistic) suite
"Pour le piano."
That was the only significant *piano* piece he'd published. The
_Prelude a l'apres-midi d'un faune_ was performed in 1894. And _Pour
le piano_ has some definite "impressionist" leanings -- there's a
substantial whole-tone section in (I think) the Toccata movement,
cited in Grove. That said, I think you could make the case that Ravel
was the one who figured out the piano language to go with the
harmonic/textural ideas of Debussy's mature style.
Vance
Carl Tait
Vance Maverick <mave...@cork.CS.Berkeley.EDU> wrote:
>
>The other big-name composer called impressionist is Ravel, and
>certainly some of his earlier music, like _Daphnis et Chloe_, clearly
>echoes the sound of Debussy's famous pieces; but he moved on to other
^^^^^^
Unfortunately! Most listeners find Ravel's pre-war works decidedly
superior to his later ones.
>So I'd claim that "impressionism" is either Debussy or an imitation;
Ravel wrote that when he published his (thoroughly impressionistic)
piano piece "Jeux d'eau" in 1901, the only significant piece that
Debussy had published was the (very good but non-impressionistic) suite
"Pour le piano."
>since Debussy's oeuvre is not large, it's easier to just go listen to
>it than to try to make sense of a "nontechnical" description.
Agreed. Just don't forget about Ravel -- whose output is even smaller --
and who some of us enjoy considerably more than Debussy.
Carl Tait
Diarmuid Pigott
harpe et quatuor a cordes d'apres Edgar A Poe, "Le Masque de la mort
rouge" which is about as dark and sinister as impressionism gets. Caplet
was a pupil of Debussy, and was trusted with orchestration of Saint Sebastien.
Berry de Bruyn
>Any suggestions on some non-Debussy impressionist composers, any
>good references (for non-technical description) which would have
>maybe a chapter on impressionism... I'd also like to hear your
>descriptions of what this sort of music is-
Debussy himself protested emphatically against the label 'impressionism' for
his work. The name should have been restricted for painting. Still, it is
hard to find a Debussy record without Monet on the cover :-b
berry
Bradford Kellogg
|> In article <2hp4ep$2...@hubcap.clemson.edu> ep...@hubcap.clemson.edu (A replicant) writes:
|> > I'd like to learn more about the sounds of musical impressionism.
|> >Any suggestions on some non-Debussy impressionist composers, any
|> >good references (for non-technical description) which would have
|> >maybe a chapter on impressionism... I'd also like to hear your
|> >descriptions of what this sort of music is-
Ravel is called neo-classic by some, but he is very impressionistic in
many pieces, such as Une Barque sur L'Ocean. Satie falls into this category,
I think, although in an unusually whimsical fashion. Chabrier sounds
impressionistic to me in some piano music. Respighi, who is usually called
post- or neo-romantic, seems very impressionist with some music such as
the Fountains of Rome. Even Balakirev, who is dyed-in-the-wool romantic,
sounds very impressionist with his piano piece In the Garden.
However, I think you'll find the most dominant source for the impressionist
feeling shows up in French piano music, including Satie and Chabrier above,
and a number of other French composers for the piano who I cannot seem to
name at this moment. Poulenc falls in there somewhat, although he departs
from impressionism most of the time, I think.
I think of impressionist music as having some of the same qualities as
paintings of that name. The music tends be descriptive and evocative,
but the technique tends to smooth the sharp corners, often masking a
strong rhythm with a soft blanket thrown over it. Emotion is present,
but highly comtemplative rather than demonstrative. Overt bombast is
avoided. Subtlety and relative restraint often set the tone. It rarely
takes on a very dark or heavy mood, even with Debussy's Sunken Cathedral,
which might in name conjure up a lugubrious setting, rather it has a
dreamy quality of scattered light and soft textures.
Best of all, it inspires drippy blathering like the above! :-)
- BK
James M. Fitzwilliam
Impressionists". It has the usual suspects (Debussy, Ravel) but also
music of Griffes and Liszt. Listening to the Liszt along with the
examples from the 20th century, you can hear his astonishing foresight.
The liner notes quote him as saying that he wanted to "hurl a lance as
far as possible into the future."
This is also a very nicely-recorded CD. The Bosendorfer Imperial had
(according to the notes) just gotten new hammers, and sounds very warm.
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