Children's Corner was written for Debussy's three-year-old daughter, Claude-Emma (nicknamed "Chou-Chou"), and bears the following dedication: "to my dear Chou-Chou, with the tender apologies of her father for what is to follow." The composer's sentiments were presumably an acknowledgement of the inevitable loss of innocence that comes with growing up, but his words take on a darker, more prophetic, hue in hindsight—Claude-Emma died from diphtheria only a year after Debussy's own death from cancer in 1918.

Though ostensibly children's pieces, the miniatures that make up Children's Corner are not meant for children to play; rather they are meant to evoke the mood and essence of childhood, and the fantasies of youth. The titles, all of them in English, reflect not only the rampant anglophilia in Paris at the time of composition (and Debussy's own affection for England), but also Chou-Chou's relationship with her English nanny, who helped to choose them. The set, as a whole, captures the particular charm of Debussy's piano music, in spirit if not in style. It possesses great humor and lightness, real beauty, and deceptive technical difficulties.

The first movement, Doctor Gradus ad Parnassum, is a lighthearted reference to Muzio Clementi's well-known piano exercises, Gradus ad Parnassum, published in 1817. It parodies a child performing these exercises, initially tearing through the bright, fast passages and eventually becoming distracted, bored, and finally slamming down the final cadence with relief. This movement looks forward to Debussy's later Études, in which he lampoons the five-finger exercises of Carl Czerny. The second movement is about a toy elephant, and is called Jimbo's Lullaby; the ponderous gait of the elephant and the lightness of its stuffing are illustrated in whole-tone harmony. The third movement Serenade for the Doll is a quick, dance-like song for a little girl's favorite toy, while Snow is Dancing gives us a picture of falling ice crystals.

The Little Shepherd tells a story of a young shepherd, playing his pipe, dancing around the meadow, resting by a tree, and finally falling asleep. The last movement, Golliwogg's Cake Walk, was inspired by American ragtime music, which, considered plebian in its native country, had taken Europe by storm. Debussy also managed a tweak at Wagner, by quoting the famous Tristan & Isolde theme, and following it with a pianistic chuckle. It's title comes from Golliwogg, a doll that was popular in Chou-Chou's day, and a popular children's game associated with the doll. The game involved walking to the music (the steps required are specific, and seeing kids perform them is adorable) and whoever looked most enthused about getting cake received a slice.

The Children's Corner Suite is certainly not characteristic of Debussy's ephemeral style—which by now had fully developed impressionistic qualities—however, it is a delightful work, and it showcases Debussy's ability to create unique tonal colors.

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Debussy undoubtedly had his daughter Claude-Emma (to whom he gave the nickname Chouchou) in mind when he wrote this piece, the third of six comprising his Children's Corner Suite. Indeed, he dedicated the entire set to her and also composed La boîte à joujoux (1913) for her. Though Debussy died of cancer in March 1918, at the age of 55, he was at least spared enduring the much more premature death of his beloved Chouchou a year later. Serenade for the doll begins in a manner similar to that in Mouvement, the third of the works in Debussy's set of Images, Book I (1904 - 1905). But where that piece retains its rhythmic energy and drive throughout, this work turns playful and gentle, childlike and cute. The main theme jauntily hops about with the erratic energy of a young child, sometimes seeming busy, other times appearing to rest a bit. In the middle section, the mood turns slightly wistful, but still retains its playful manner. The main material returns and the remainder of the piece features the same fantasy-like atmosphere. This little gem typically has a duration of three minutes.

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The Little Shepherd is the penultimate of the six pieces in Debussy's Children's Corner Suite, the ever-popular Golliwog's Cakewalk serving as the colorful finale. Debussy was not known for children's music in the way Prokofiev, Saint-Saëns, or some others were, but this masterful set of pieces evidences his strong talent in the genre. This piece, however, like the charmingly oafish Jimbo's Lullaby (the second in the set), may find the adult ear more receptive to its wistful character and slow tempos, tempos that may draw out impatience from the youngest listeners. After a brief introductory passage of tentative character, the main theme is presented as a hypnotic and lovely creation that imitates the sounds of the shepherd boy playing his flute. The melody is playful yet melancholy and lonely in its sparse writing. After it is heard, the music from the introduction returns and is somewhat developed, the mood here turning a bit warmer. The shepherd boy's theme is played twice more before the piece quietly ends in a fantasy-like mood. This work typically has a duration of three minutes in performance.

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In the period 1906 - 1908, Debussy wrote six pieces for piano and gave them the collective title Children's Corner, suite for piano. Like much so-called children's music, it has attracted adult audiences through the years as well. In fact, the sixth in this set, Golliwog's Cakewalk, is one of the most popular pieces Debussy ever wrote. The composer dedicated the Children's Corner to his daughter Claude-Emma (born in 1905), who he nicknamed Chouchou. Doctor Gradus ad Parnassum is the first of the six pieces, and its light and colorful music will appeal to the younger listeners it targets. Doctor Gradus is an amusing, two-minute depiction of a child pianist struggling with the Clementi exercises. By the end of the piece, the student has mastered them and plays with confident skills. At least that is the parody pianists are supposed to portray here, but most are reticent to appear struggling with anything. The piece opens with a swirl of notes, out of which emerges a playful theme. The music takes on an almost wistful quality in the middle section, but returns to the swirling joys of the opening in the latter half, the writing turning more difficult, more brilliant.

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Children's Corner was written for Debussy's three-year-old daughter, Claude-Emma (nicknamed "Chou-Chou"), and bears the following dedication: "to my dear Chou-Chou, with the tender apologies of her father for what is to follow." The composer's sentiments were presumably an acknowledgement of the inevitable loss of innocence that comes with growing up, but his words take on a darker, more prophetic, hue in hindsight—Claude-Emma died from diphtheria only a year after Debussy's own death from cancer in 1918.

Though ostensibly children's pieces, the miniatures that make up Children's Corner are not meant for children to play; rather they are meant to evoke the mood and essence of childhood, and the fantasies of youth. The titles, all of them in English, reflect not only the rampant anglophilia in Paris at the time of composition (and Debussy's own affection for England), but also Chou-Chou's relationship with her English nanny, who helped to choose them. The set, as a whole, captures the particular charm of Debussy's piano music, in spirit if not in style. It possesses great humor and lightness, real beauty, and deceptive technical difficulties.

The first movement, "Doctor Gradus ad Parnassum," is a light-hearted reference to Muzio Clementi's well-known piano exercises, Gradus ad Parnassum, published in 1817. It parodies a child performing these exercises, initially tearing through the bright, fast passages and eventually becoming distracted, bored, and finally slamming down the final cadence with relief. This movement looks forward to Debussy's later Études, in which he lampoons the five-finger exercises of Carl Czerny. The second movement is about a toy elephant, and is called "Jimbo's Lullaby"; the ponderous gait of the elephant and the lightness of its stuffing are illustrated in whole-tone harmony. The third movement "Serenade for the Doll" is a quick, dance-like song for a little girl's favorite toy, while "Snow is Dancing" gives us a picture of falling ice crystals.

"The Little Shepherd" tells a story of a young shepherd, playing his pipe, dancing around the meadow, resting by a tree, and finally falling asleep. The last movement, "Golliwogg's Cake Walk," was inspired by American ragtime music, which, considered plebeian in its native country, had taken Europe by storm. Debussy also managed a tweak at Wagner, by quoting the famous Tristan & Isolde theme, and following it with a pianistic chuckle. It's title comes from Golliwogg, a doll that was popular in Chou-Chou's day, and a popular children's game associated with the doll. The game involved walking to the music (the steps required are specific, and seeing kids perform them is adorable) and whoever looked most enthused about getting cake received a slice.

The Children's Corner suite is certainly not characteristic of Debussy's ephemeral style—which by now had fully developed impressionistic qualities—however, it is a delightful work, and it showcases Debussy's ability to create unique tonal colors.

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