Debussy famously told his teacher that in composing, "There is no theory. You merely have to listen. Pleasure is the law."
Critical Reception
Book II of Debussy's Préludes was initially met with slight disappointment in Britain and sold significantly fewer copies than Book I, likely due to its more advanced harmonies and syntax.
Interpretation
Pianist Steven Osborne incorporated a suggested omitted bar in "Les tierces alternées" from Roy Howat's recent Durand edition of the Préludes, believing the suggestion to be correct.
Composition History
Debussy worked at high speed on Book I of the Préludes, completing nine of them between early December 1909 and February 4, 1910, with the volume in print by April 14.
Performer Biography
Steven Osborne, born in Scotland in 1971, is a highly regarded pianist who won first prize in the prestigious Clara Haskil Competition in 1991 and the Naumburg International Competition in 1997.
Compositional Technique
Debussy's Préludes often sound free and improvisatory, with one piece, "Les sons et les parfums tournent dans l'air du soir," containing no fewer than twenty tempo-related instructions in just three pages.
