Daniel Barenboim, the pianist on this album, studied music theory in Paris with the legendary Nadia Boulanger, who influenced a generation of American composers like Aaron Copland.
Composition History
Debussy's piano waltz La plus que lente was composed after the first book of Préludes and was later transcribed for string orchestra.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Béla Bartók, a Hungarian composer, ranked Debussy alongside Bach and Beethoven, noting Debussy's achievement in harmony for teaching musicians to appreciate sonority again.
Composer Biography
As a young man, Debussy rebelled against the academic teaching at the Paris Conservatoire and traveled, accepting an offer from Tchaikovsky's patron Nadezhda von Meck to teach her children and play duets.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Daniel Barenboim considers the popular label 'Impressionist' for Debussy problematic, arguing he could more justifiably be called a 'Symbolist' due to the influence of poets Baudelaire and Mallarmé.
Historical Context
In his final works, including the tenderly melancholic Élégie and the satirical En blanc et noir, Debussy protested against the 'barbarism' of Germany during the First World War.
Recording & Production
Debussy himself recorded some of his piano works, including two Estampes and 'Clair de lune', on Welte-Mignon rolls, which Daniel Barenboim greatly admires for their improvisatory quality.
