Debussy put five nature pieces in Book I of the Preludes for piano, but only three in the second book. Feuilles mortes (Dead leaves), the second in Book II, is the second of this set's nature pieces and like most of the others, presents rather subdued music of great atmospheric character. Here the mood is somewhat melancholy, with a good many dark clouds hovering above the keyboard. The music expresses more than the autumnal aspects of the title, imparting a detached emotional manner as well, apparently to suggest nature can express no sorrow over the final stages of its life cycle. The piece opens with a slow, gloomy theme that is more atmospheric than thematic—or so it seems. It slowly begins in the upper register, then accelerates a bit as it ominously descends to the middle register. The music soon starts to mellow, but the descending half of the main theme suddenly begins agitatedly building in a quite Lisztian fashion. Its seeming threats quickly fade, however, and the music yields back to the more peaceful gloom of the opening. Timings for this piece vary greatly, ranging from just over two minutes to nearly four.

© All Music Guide

###

The works in Debussy's second book of préludes (1910 - 1913) are similar in intent to those of Book I (1907 - 1910). Several of them look ahead to Debussy's later style, in which the composer's earlier impressionistic, almost Romantic poetry was supplanted by a greater concentration upon technique and neoclassical objectivity. In addition, perhaps because Debussy's style is so prone to mannerism, several of the préludes in Book II bear strong similarities to those from the earlier set.

1. "Brouillards" (Mists): Quietly teeming, delicate, and atmospheric, the texture is dominated by sweeping arpeggios that require a high degree of control on the part of the pianist. Harmonically, the work is quite advanced, with a strong suggestion of polytonality.

2. "Feuilles mortes" (Dead Leaves): The main theme of this prélude is so similar to that of Les sons et les parfums tournement dans l'air du soir (Sounds and Scents Mix in the Evening Air) from Book I, it seems an intentional parody. The overall mood likewise recalls that of the earlier work.

3. "La puerta del vino" (The Gateway of the Alhambra Palace): One of the most effective préludes of the set, this Spanish-inflected work has the rhythm of a habanera throughout.

4. "Les fées sont d'exquises danseuses" (The Fairies are Exquisite Dancers): The wispy, delicate figuration of this work calls for extraordinary facility and lightness on the part of the pianist.

5. "Bruyères" (Heaths): Similar in mood and style to La fille aux cheveux de lin from Book I, "Bruyères," a depiction of an idyllic English landscape, is also one of the least demanding préludes from a technical standpoint.

6. "Général Lavine—eccentric": In this prélude, Debussy portrays the famous American juggler with enormous wit, making ingenious use of incisive rhythms and sudden contrasts. Perhaps reflecting common "showbiz" origins, it is similar in mood and style to "Minstrels" from Book I.

7. "La terrasse des audiences du clair de lune" (The Terrace of the Audiences of Moonlight): This subtle prélude is based on a phrase from the French children's song "Au clair de la lune." The many artfully constructed mood changes are difficult to convey and require great sensitivity on the part of the pianist.

8. "Ondine": Debussy depicts the legendary water sprite with a subtly changing atmosphere, as in the previous prélude. Typical "water-like" arpeggiated figuration alternates with scherzando outbursts.

9. "Hommage à S. Pickwick Esq., P.P.M.P.C." (after Dickens' Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club): The protagonist of Dickens' novel is musically personified by imitations of whistling, echoes of an English music hall, and a quote from "God Save the Queen."

10. "Canope": This prélude, similar in style and content to "Et la lune descend sur le temple qui fût" (And the Moon Descends on the Ruined Temple) from the second set of Images (1907), is a mournful depiction of an Egyptian burial urn.

11. "Tièrces alternées" (Alternating Thirds): This is a brilliant study in thirds that anticipates the style of the Études (1915). Debussy achieves great effect through a subtle rise and fall of dynamics, using a minimum of musical material.

12. "Feux d'artifice" (Fireworks): The last of Debussy's préludes is a musical portrait of a fireworks display over Paris. Brilliant arpeggios, trills, and rapid chord passages characterize this, the most technically challenging of the préludes. The work comes to an effective close with a distant quote of "La Marseillaise" sounded over a hushed tremolo.

© All Music Guide

###

Debussy liked Spanish music, often himself composing works exhibiting elements of that nationalist style. Ibéria, the second of the three orchestral Images, is one of several examples divulging this tendency. La Puerta del Vino (The Gate of Wine) is another, but it goes deeper than just evocations of Spanish musical styles, expressing the conflicting elements of love and violence as revealed by the composer. Still, the music is mostly light, its inspiration coming from an image on a postcard sent by Manuel de Falla to Debussy that depicted the Alhambra Gateway in Granada, the gate referenced in the work's title. Despite the composer's comments about violence in this piece, most listeners will hear its music as exotic and seductive, nocturnal and mysterious. This is a habañera, whose infectious rhythmic manner and thematic workings in the middle register and bass impart a sensual character to the piece. In the middle section, the music briefly takes on an epic character, but then returns to the more subdued manner from earlier. The insistent, mostly lazy rhythm often suggests sinister elements, especially in that grandiose passage in the middle section. This work typically lasts about three minutes.

© All Music Guide

###

In both books of preludes, Debussy composed piano pieces that generally fit into one of three categories: nature, legend (also mystery), and modern or earthy. But La terrasse des audiences du clair de lune (The terrace of spectators by the light of the moon) encompasses not only elements from all of these three realms, but several others as well. Its music was inspired by a newspaper account of the coronation of King George V as Emperor of India and of the accompanying festivities. Thus, Debussy deals with a then-current historical event here, inherent in which are elements of legend and mystery. There is also a nocturnal sense in the moonlit atmosphere and an exotic, far-Eastern character here, too. The piece softly opens, ponderously imparting a nocturnal and exotic atmosphere rather than a festive one. Gradually, the music takes on a more animated manner while not shedding its slow tempos. The middle section even contains a couple of minor eruptions. In general, the thematic material is elusive and misty, the musical trajectory in descent. A few playful passages aside, the mood is ethereal and gloomy. This prelude typically lasts four to five minutes.

© All Music Guide

###

The works in Debussy's second book of préludes (1910 - 1913) are similar in intent to those of Book I (1907 - 1910). Several of them look ahead to Debussy's later style, in which the composer's earlier impressionistic, almost Romantic poetry was supplanted by a greater concentration upon technique and neoclassical objectivity. In addition, perhaps because Debussy's style is so prone to mannerism, several of the préludes in Book II bear strong similarities to those from the earlier set.

1. "Brouillards" (Mists): Quietly teeming, delicate, and atmospheric, the texture is dominated by sweeping arpeggios that require a high degree of control on the part of the pianist. Harmonically, the work is quite advanced, with a strong suggestion of polytonality.

2. "Feuilles mortes" (Dead Leaves): The main theme of this prélude is so similar to that of Les sons et les parfums tournement dans l'air du soir (Sounds and Scents Mix in the Evening Air) from Book I, it seems an intentional parody. The overall mood likewise recalls that of the earlier work.

3. "La puerta del vino" (The Gateway of the Alhambra Palace): One of the most effective préludes of the set, this Spanish-inflected work has the rhythm of a habanera throughout.

4. "Les fées sont d'exquises danseuses" (The Fairies are Exquisite Dancers): The wispy, delicate figuration of this work calls for extraordinary facility and lightness on the part of the pianist.

5. "Bruyères" (Heaths): Similar in mood and style to La fille aux cheveux de lin from Book I, "Bruyères," a depiction of an idyllic English landscape, is also one of the least demanding préludes from a technical standpoint.

6. "Général Lavine—eccentric": In this prélude, Debussy portrays the famous American juggler with enormous wit, making ingenious use of incisive rhythms and sudden contrasts. Perhaps reflecting common "showbiz" origins, it is similar in mood and style to "Minstrels" from Book I.

7. "La terrasse des audiences du clair de lune" (The Terrace of the Audiences of Moonlight): This subtle prélude is based on a phrase from the French children's song "Au clair de la lune." The many artfully constructed mood changes are difficult to convey and require great sensitivity on the part of the pianist.

8. "Ondine": Debussy depicts the legendary water sprite with a subtly changing atmosphere, as in the previous prélude. Typical "water-like" arpeggiated figuration alternates with scherzando outbursts.

9. "Hommage à S. Pickwick Esq., P.P.M.P.C." (after Dickens' Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club): The protagonist of Dickens' novel is musically personified by imitations of whistling, echoes of an English music hall, and a quote from "God Save the Queen."

10. "Canope": This prélude, similar in style and content to "Et la lune descend sur le temple qui fût" (And the Moon Descends on the Ruined Temple) from the second set of Images (1907), is a mournful depiction of an Egyptian burial urn.

11. "Tièrces alternées" (Alternating Thirds): This is a brilliant study in thirds that anticipates the style of the Études (1915). Debussy achieves great effect through a subtle rise and fall of dynamics, using a minimum of musical material.

12. "Feux d'artifice" (Fireworks): The last of Debussy's préludes is a musical portrait of a fireworks display over Paris. Brilliant arpeggios, trills, and rapid chord passages characterize this, the most technically challenging of the préludes. The work comes to an effective close with a distant quote of "La Marseillaise" sounded over a hushed tremolo.

© All Music Guide

###

After hearing this colorful, "eccentric" piece, first-time listeners would be tempted to wonder just who Debussy was portraying or parodying in this work. Who was this General Lavine? Edward Lavine was an American clown who appeared at the Champs-Elysées' Marigny Theatre in 1910 and 1912, apparently to the great amusement of Debussy. In its cakewalk-like style, the music seems to depict the character's strutting nonchalance one moment, then his clownish mischief the next. The work opens with a playful introduction, then presents a march-like, sashaying theme whose gait is constantly interrupted or simply unable to remain focused on its own step, distracted by some clownish pursuit. Rhythms are elastic here and there is a start-and-stop manner to the musical current, the resultant mood seeming to be a mixture of swagger and oafish missteps, of childlike playfulness and snatches of grandeur. In the latter half of the piece, the main theme begins falling apart, being reduced to fragments in the closing moments. This, the sixth of the Preludes (12) in Book II, has a duration of about three minutes in typical performances.

© All Music Guide

###

The works in Debussy's second book of préludes (1910 - 1913) are similar in intent to those of Book I (1907 - 1910). Several of them look ahead to Debussy's later style, in which the composer's earlier impressionistic, almost Romantic poetry was supplanted by a greater concentration upon technique and neoclassical objectivity. In addition, perhaps because Debussy's style is so prone to mannerism, several of the préludes in Book II bear strong similarities to those from the earlier set.

1. "Brouillards" (Mists): Quietly teeming, delicate, and atmospheric, the texture is dominated by sweeping arpeggios that require a high degree of control on the part of the pianist. Harmonically, the work is quite advanced, with a strong suggestion of polytonality.

2. "Feuilles mortes" (Dead Leaves): The main theme of this prélude is so similar to that of Les sons et les parfums tournement dans l'air du soir (Sounds and Scents Mix in the Evening Air) from Book I, it seems an intentional parody. The overall mood likewise recalls that of the earlier work.

3. "La puerta del vino" (The Gateway of the Alhambra Palace): One of the most effective préludes of the set, this Spanish-inflected work has the rhythm of a habanera throughout.

4. "Les fées sont d'exquises danseuses" (The Fairies are Exquisite Dancers): The wispy, delicate figuration of this work calls for extraordinary facility and lightness on the part of the pianist.

5. "Bruyères" (Heaths): Similar in mood and style to La fille aux cheveux de lin from Book I, "Bruyères," a depiction of an idyllic English landscape, is also one of the least demanding préludes from a technical standpoint.

6. "Général Lavine—eccentric": In this prélude, Debussy portrays the famous American juggler with enormous wit, making ingenious use of incisive rhythms and sudden contrasts. Perhaps reflecting common "showbiz" origins, it is similar in mood and style to "Minstrels" from Book I.

7. "La terrasse des audiences du clair de lune" (The Terrace of the Audiences of Moonlight): This subtle prélude is based on a phrase from the French children's song "Au clair de la lune." The many artfully constructed mood changes are difficult to convey and require great sensitivity on the part of the pianist.

8. "Ondine": Debussy depicts the legendary water sprite with a subtly changing atmosphere, as in the previous prélude. Typical "water-like" arpeggiated figuration alternates with scherzando outbursts.

9. "Hommage à S. Pickwick Esq., P.P.M.P.C." (after Dickens' Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club): The protagonist of Dickens' novel is musically personified by imitations of whistling, echoes of an English music hall, and a quote from "God Save the Queen."

10. "Canope": This prélude, similar in style and content to "Et la lune descend sur le temple qui fût" (And the Moon Descends on the Ruined Temple) from the second set of Images (1907), is a mournful depiction of an Egyptian burial urn.

11. "Tièrces alternées" (Alternating Thirds): This is a brilliant study in thirds that anticipates the style of the Études (1915). Debussy achieves great effect through a subtle rise and fall of dynamics, using a minimum of musical material.

12. "Feux d'artifice" (Fireworks): The last of Debussy's préludes is a musical portrait of a fireworks display over Paris. Brilliant arpeggios, trills, and rapid chord passages characterize this, the most technically challenging of the préludes. The work comes to an effective close with a distant quote of "La Marseillaise" sounded over a hushed tremolo.

© All Music Guide

###

Les fées sont d'exquises danseuses (The fairies are exquisite dancers) is a counterpart in certain respects to the first work in Debussy's Book I of preludes, Danseuses de Delphes (Dancers of Delphi), both having been inspired by visual art and both, of course, relating to dancers. In their music, however, the two works are worlds apart: the Delphi prelude is sensual though quite somber in mood. This work, meanwhile, was inspired by a colorful illustration by Arthur Rackham for J.M. Barrie's play Peter Pan in Kensington, is playful and, as its title suggests, fantasy-like. The music opens in a mood of impish playfulness, notes hustling about in the upper register as if in mischievous but dainty pursuit of some coveted catch. Gradually, the energy peters out and an elegant, typically Debussyian theme is heard. It's not a complex creation, but hardly a childlike one either. Still, the mischievous elements intrude on it now and again to maintain the playful mood. The opening theme soon returns, but only briefly, and the piece ends rather quietly. This work lasts three minutes in a typical performance.

© All Music Guide

Portions of Content Provided by All Music Guide.
© 2008 All Media Guide, LLC. All Music Guide is a registered trademark of All Media Guide, LLC.