1 Nuages [鈥楥louds鈥橾
2 F锚tes [鈥楩estivals鈥橾
3 Sir猫nes [鈥楽irens鈥橾

The Nocturnes had an unusually long period of compositional gestation as Debussy struggled to find new ways of exploring colour and timbre to convey fleeting images and moods. First conceiving the work in 1892 as Trois sc猫nes au cr茅puscule (鈥楾hree scenes at twilight鈥�), he was originally inspired by the dream-like imagery of the Symbolist poems of the same title by his friend Henri de R茅gnier, but then discovered the darkly atmospheric series of night-time landscapes by the Paris-based American artist James McNeill Whistler 鈥� a sort of Baudelaire figure of the visual arts 鈥� from whom Debussy borrowed the title Nocturnes. Encouraged by his discoveries in the Pr茅lude 脿 l鈥檃pr猫s-midi d鈥檜n faune (1894) which opened new compositional paths in terms of harmony, instrumental colour and form, Debussy finally completed his Nocturnes in 1899. In his programme note for the first complete performance by the Orchestre Lamoureux under Camille Chevillard in 1901, Debussy wrote: 鈥楾he title Nocturnes 鈥� is not meant to designate the usual form of the nocturne, but rather all the various impressions and special effects of light that the word suggests.鈥�

Mysterious and subdued in steadily oscillating crotchets, the tonally ambiguous 鈥楴uages鈥� evokes what Debussy called 鈥榯he immutable aspect of the sky and the slow, solemn motion of the clouds, fading away in grey tones tinged with white鈥�. Debussy got the idea in Paris while standing very late one night on the pont de Solf茅rino watching a moonless sky, the Seine below 鈥榳ithout a ripple, like a tarnished mirror鈥�.

鈥楩锚tes鈥� is more exuberant, with its dance-like triplet movement and joyful themes which portray Debussy鈥檚 鈥榙azzling and fantastic vision鈥� of a festival procession in the Bois de Boulogne, but as seen from afar through the trees; crowds run and resplendent horsemen of the Garde R茅publicaine sound their bugles before disappearing into the gloom.

鈥楽ir猫nes鈥� looks forward to La mer (1903鈥�5) in depicting the sea and what for Debussy were 鈥榠ts countless rhythms鈥�. Among the waves, silvered by the moonlight, a wordless female chorus evokes the mysterious song and wistful sighs of mythical Sirens, supernatural beings who lured sailors to their doom.

Programme note 漏 Caroline Rae