Debussy: Orchestral Works, Vol. 4

Featuring

Jun Märkl
Orchestre National de Lyon
Claude Debussy

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Critical Reception

Le Martyre de Saint Sébastien received a mixed reception, with the Archbishop of Paris forbidding Catholic attendance due to its controversial themes.

Composition History

Debussy regretted his association with the ballet Khamma, a commission from dancer Maude Allan, and Charles Koechlin completed its orchestration.

Composer Biography

Claude Debussy, a pivotal figure of the early 20th century, began piano lessons at seven and later studied with Verlaine's mother-in-law, who claimed to be a pupil of Chopin.

Performer Biography

Jun Märkl, the conductor, studied at Tanglewood with Leonard Bernstein and Seiji Ozawa and has held positions with the Orchestre National de Lyon and MDR Leipzig Radio Symphony.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Debussy's musical language, with its poetic and sensitive use of orchestra and keyboard textures, suggested new paths for future exploration.

Composer Biography

At eighteen, Debussy was employed by Nadezhda von Meck, Tchaikovsky's patroness, as a tutor to her children and house-musician.

Composition History

Debussy's incidental music for Gabriele D'Annunzio's play Le Martyre de Saint Sébastien was commissioned by dancer Ida Rubinstein, who also performed the lead role.