Meet a Composer: Claude Debussy

Meet a Composer:  Claude Debussy

Years Lived: 1862-1918

Period of Composing: Impressionist

Country: France

Debussy was one of the most important composers of the early 20th century.   While other composers of the time were composing in the Romantic style, Debussy wrote in a style that would be called Impressionism. In fact, he may have been the first Impressionist composer, although he did not use or accept that term. Influences including Russian and far-eastern Javanese gamelan music contributed to Debussy's use of harmonies and sounds which did not fit with the strict rules of the Paris Conservatory where he was a student. He is said to have "established a new concept of tonality in European music." 

 
Debussy started piano lessons at the age of seven and at ten was admitted to the Paris Conservatory to study piano. Although very accomplished at the piano, he did not advance as needed to continue there in piano classes, but he continued to study harmony, solfege, and composition instead. Most of Debussy's music is written for the piano or orchestra, but he also wrote some chamber music, songs, and one opera, Pelléas et Mélisande. The success of his opera at its opening in 1902 made Debussy a well-known name in France and abroad.  

 

One of his most famous pieces, Clair de Lune, can be heard in many movies including (including Oceans Eleven), television shows (such as Everybody Loves Raymond, Malcolm in the Middle, and The Simpsons), commercials (McDonalds), and in this Google Doodle from 2013, celebrating Debussy's 151st birthday.

Did You Know:

There is a drawing of Claude Debussy on France's 20 franc paper money, pictured at the end of this article about Debussy from Kiddle. 

Debussy dedicated his Children's Corner suite for solo piano to his daughter Claude-Emma, who was nicknamed Chou-Chou.  Hear more about this suite and some of its music in this short podcast from Classics for Kids. More about Debussy's life is included in another Classics for Kids podcast as well as samples of some of his other music.

Can you find all the words in this Word Search about Debussy from Making Music Fun?

Click on this composer map game from Classics for Kids (scroll down to find the composer map) and then click on France to see what other composers were born there besides Debussy.

Listen to some of Debussy's music and read about what else was happening in the world in 1894.