Debussy: Piano Music, Vol. 1

Featuring

Noriko Ogawa
Claude Debussy

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Composer's Artistic Vision

Claude Debussy aimed to create a new kind of music for a new era, stating, "The century of aeroplanes deserves its own music. As there are no precedents, I must create anew."

Composer's Artistic Vision

Debussy's motto was "toujours plus loin" (ever farther), reflecting his desire to explore uncharted musical territories, drawing inspiration from diverse sources like the music of India, the Renaissance, and folk-songs.

Performer Biography

Noriko Ogawa, the pianist on this recording, was awarded third prize at the 1987 Leeds International Piano Competition and is a national celebrity in her native Japan.

Composer Biography

Debussy surrounded himself with poets, writers, painters, and sculptors rather than musicians, feeling particularly close to the Symbolist movement.

Recording & Production

This recording was made in August 2000 at Nybrokajen 11 (the former Academy of Music) in Stockholm, Sweden, using a Steinway D grand piano.

Critical Reception

Debussy strongly objected to his music being labeled "impressionistic," calling it "just about the least appropriate term possible."

Compositional Technique

Debussy developed unique piano techniques, telling his students to forget the instrument had hammers and to caress rather than hit the keys, aiming to draw many colors from the instrument.