Claude debussy life biography of lady

French classical composer (1862–1918)

"Debussy" redirects here. For other uses, see Debussy (disambiguation).

Achille Claude Debussy (French:[aʃilkloddəbysi]; 22 August 1862 – 25 March 1918) was a French composer. He is sometimes seen as the first Impressionist composer, although he vigorously rejected the term. He was among the most influential composers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Born to a family of modest means and little cultural involvement, Debussy showed enough musical talent to be admitted at the age of ten to France's leading music college, the Conservatoire de Paris. He originally studied the piano, but found his vocation in innovative composition, despite the disapproval of the Conservatoire's conservative professors. He took many years to develop his mature style, and was nearly 40 when he achieved international fame in 1902 with the only opera he completed, Pelléas et Mélisande.

Debussy's orchestral works include Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune (1894), Nocturnes (1897–1899) and Images (1905–1912). His music was to a considerable extent a reaction against Wagner and the German musical tradition. He regarded the classical symphony as obsolete and sought an alternative in his "symphonic sketches", La mer (1903–1905). His piano works include sets of 24 Préludes and 12 Études. Throughout his career he wrote mélodies based on a wide variety of poetry, including his own. He was greatly influenced by the Symbolist poetic movement of the later 19th century. A small number of works, including the early La Damoiselle élue and the late Le Martyre de saint Sébastien have important parts for chorus. In his final years, he focused on chamber music, completing three of six planned sonatas for different combinations of instruments.

With early influences including Russian and Far Eastern music and works by Chopin, Debussy developed his own style of harmony and orchestral colour

11. Claude Debussy married the mother of one of his students.

While teaching music, one of Claude Debussy’s students was Raoul Bardac – a brilliant young boy who later grew up to become a classical pianist. Young Raoul introduced Claude to his mother Emma Bardac, a singer and the wife of a Parisian baker. Emma was sophisticated and smart. She had already been the subject of a previous scandal, having had a past love affair with another famous composer Gabriel Faure. Claude instantly fell in love with Emma from the first time they met.

In the summer of 1904, Claude Debussy took Emma with him on a secret vacation in Jersey. There, he wrote to his then wife Lilly Texier and told her that their marriage was over. This ultimately led to the Lilly shooting herself. Though she survived, the love affair between Claude and Emma became public. Emma’s family disowned her and Claude’s lost more friends and supporters.

Both Claude Debussy and Emma finalized their respective divorces in 1905. Throughout their relationship, the couple was publicly criticized for the love affair. To escape the shame, Claude and a pregnant Emma left for England. The couple returned to Paris just before the birth of their child and bought a large house in a courtyard development. Claude Debussy married Emma in 1908 and they stayed together until their last days.

12. Claude Debussy was awarded the Legion of Honor.

In 1903, Claude Debussy was appointed as a Chevalier of the Legion d’honneur. The Legion d’honneur (Legion of Honor) is the highest French order of merit for military and civil merits.

13. Claude Debussy only had one child – a daughter called Chouchou.

In 1905, Claude Debussy’s wife Emma gave birth to a daughter. The couple named her Claude-Emma Debussy and lovingly gave her the nickname “Chouchou”. Inspired by his daughter’s birth, Claude Debussy composed the piano piece “Children’s Corner” in her honor.

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Achille-Claude Debussy (born St Germain-en-Laye, 22 August 1862; died Paris, 25 March, 1918) was a Frenchcomposer. He was one of the most important composers of the early 20th century. Most of his compositions are for orchestra or for piano. He also wrote some songs, chamber music and one opera. He made his music very different from the Romantic style that other composers were using at the time. He is often called an Impressionistic composer because he was influenced by the group of painters called “Impressionists”. They were not so much interested in making their paintings look exactly like the real world, but preferred to paint things such as the effect of the sunlight shining on water. Debussy often did this in his music, which creates a special atmosphere.

Life

Claude Debussy did not have an easy childhood. His father was a travelling salesman and his mother worked as a seamstress. He learned the piano when he was young and was inducted into the Paris Conservatoire at age 11. For a time it seemed that he would become a concert pianist, but he did not do well enough in his examination. After winning an important prize, the Prix de Rome, he went to Rome for two years but he did not enjoy it. He visited Bayreuth in 1888 and 1889 to hear Wagner’soperas but he did not like them. He preferred sounds like that of the Javanesegamelan which he heard in Paris at the World Exhibition.

In 1899 he married a young woman named Rosalie Texier. He got a job as music critic of a journal called La revue blanche. He wrote his opera Pélleas et Mélisande which was performed at the Opéra-Comique. It was extremely successful and was performed 100 times there during the next ten years. He wrote exciting music for orchestra: Fêtes galantes and a work called La Mer (The Sea) which he worked at while staying in Brighton on the south coast of England. It is one of the most exciting pieces of music about the sea.

Debussy was