Debussy preferred to be associated with the Symbolists rather than being called an Impressionist, though posterity views him as the creator of musical Impressionism.
Compositional Technique
Debussy's piano music, particularly his Impressionistic style, opened up a new world of tonal possibilities for the instrument, which had previously been largely unexplored.
Composer Biography
Debussy drew inspiration from various sources, including Russian music, admiring Wagner, and being interested in exotic tones from places like Java.
Composition History
When Debussy published his collection of twelve piano pieces in 1910, he chose the neutral title "Préludes," but each piece actually bears a programmatic title.
Compositional Technique
Debussy deliberately placed the programmatic titles for his Préludes in small print after each piece, rather than as headings, possibly due to a dislike of the era's tendency to over-interpret such references.
Composer Biography
Claude Debussy, the composer, was a private musician for Nadezhda von Meck, who was Tchaikovsky's patroness.
