Debussy: The Preludes

Featuring

Hans Leygraf
Claude Debussy

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Composer Biography

Claude Debussy, despite growing up in a poor family, developed aristocratic tastes and was described as a 'difficult' student at the Paris Conservatory due to his fondness for the unusual.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Claude Debussy himself did not like the idea of playing the complete prelude series as a whole, stating, 'They are not all good'.

Composition History

Debussy did not become truly famous until the 1902 premiere of his opera, 'Pelleas et Melisande'.

Performer Biography

Hans Leygraf, the pianist on this recording, was born in 1918 and made his international breakthrough in 1947, going on to annual concert tours across Europe, the Soviet Union, East Asia, and North America.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Debussy's music represented a radical departure from tradition, leading him to become known as the 'impressionist of impressionists' after a long struggle.

Compositional Technique

Debussy's Preludes are not tonal in the traditional sense, featuring unfulfilled tonal implications, some fully atonal pieces, and others with traditional functional harmony.

Performer Biography

Hans Leygraf, the pianist, held a full professorship at the Mozarteum Music Academy in Salzburg from 1972, where he still leads an international soloist class.