Debussy: Sonatas & Piano Works

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Claude Debussy

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Composer Biography

Claude Debussy, the revered French composer, was too old and sick to fight in the Great War, which began in August 1914.

Compositional Technique

The Cello Sonata generates its joyful atmosphere from ancient modal harmonies, whole-tone and pentatonic scales, and advanced playing techniques like guitar-like pizzicato and flautando.

Composition History

Debussy planned to compose six sonatas as a modern counterpart to 18th-century French sonata anthologies for diverse instrument combinations.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Debussy believed art could illuminate the human spirit and revitalise civilisation, especially during the First World War.

Composition History

Debussy's Cello Sonata was a 'secret homage' to the youth of France, who were being killed in the war.

Composer Biography

Debussy's final years were marked by severe illness, including a diagnosis of rectal cancer in November 1915 and a colostomy operation.

Historical Context

The Cello Sonata was first performed in Paris by infantryman Maurice Maréchal, a recipient of the Croix de Guerre, on a cello made from an ammunition box and old door wood.