Debussy: La Mer, Le Martyre de saint Sébastien

Featuring

Pablo Heras-Casado
Philharmonia Orchestra
Claude Debussy

Did you know?

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Composer Biography

Claude Debussy, the composer, had a lifelong fascination with the sea, once stating that if he weren't himself, he would be a sailor.

Critical Reception

The 1905 premiere of Debussy's La Mer was poorly conducted by Camille Chevillard, who Debussy claimed "butchered it mercilessly," leading to its full splendor not being heard until 1908.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Claude Debussy, the composer, aimed to restore "a little life and freedom" to symphonic music, moving away from traditional forms.

Album & Artwork

The cover of the score for Debussy's La Mer features an illustration of a wave, inspired by Hokusai's 'The Great Wave off Kanagawa', a Japanese print that Debussy owned.

Cultural Impact

The 1912 avant-garde choreography of Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune by Vaslav Nijinsky, a famous ballet dancer and choreographer, marked the birth of modern ballet, despite Debussy's dislike for it.

Composition History

Debussy's Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune was originally conceived as music to accompany a staged reading of a poem by Stéphane Mallarmé, a French symbolist poet.

Critical Reception

At its 1894 premiere, Debussy's Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune was met with general incomprehension from critics but was well-received by the audience, even earning an encore.