An Altered Conscience
Donald Macleod finds Debussy having a mid-life crisis. He'd achieved the fame he'd craved, but his notebooks reveal the inner turmoil of his thoughts.
Heading in to his forties Debussy was on the brink of one of the biggest upheavals in his life. He felt oppressed by the fame he'd achieved, and as he struggled to complete La mer, his notebooks reveal the inner turmoil of his thoughts.
One of the 20th century's most original minds, the French composer Claude Debussy has had a profound influence on the course of music. Born in 1862, his precocious talent gained him admittance to the prestigious Paris Conservatoire as a ten-year-old, one of the youngest pupils in the piano class. There were soon indications of his independence of mind. His student years are littered with reports which, while recognising his gifts also found him to be careless and scatterbrained. Debussy found it difficult to focus on his lessons because he felt frustrated with the rules of composition he was told to follow. He wanted to express himself differently, and if he broke the rules to achieve that, well, in his view, so be it.
This week Donald Macleod begins his stories at the point in Debussy's life where, the young man has dispensed with institutional restrictions. He was free to choose his own path. No more rules, no more regulations. There were still some practical considerations he would have to factor in to his plans. Having fulfilled, for the main, the requirements of the Prix de Rome, he needed to make a professional name for himself, and most urgently, earn some money! All in all, it would prove to be a difficult decade.
When in 1902 Debussy met the then married Emma Bardac, it was to set off a chain of events that would lead to public scandal and tragedy.
La mer
III. Dialogue du vent et de la mer
Berlin Philharmonic
Simon Rattle, director
Estampes: No. 1. Pagodes
Walter Gieseking, piano
Le diable dans le beffroi, completed and orchestrated by Robert Orledge (excerpt)
Allez, il faut nous pr茅parer
Un鈥eux鈥rois鈥� (chorus)
Les diable! C鈥檈st le Diable!...
Le Diable mime
Michael Dries, bell ringer, bass
Virgil Hartinger, Jean, bell ringer鈥檚 son, tenor
Eugene Villanueva, baritone, Burgomaster
G枚ttingen Symphony Orchestra
St Jacobi Chamber Choir, G枚ttingen
Christoph-Mathias Mueller, conductor
Masques
Steven Osborne, piano
Fantaisie for piano and orchestra
I: Andante ma non troppo
Martha Argerich, piano
Staatskapelle Berlin
Daniel Barenboim, conductor
Pell茅as et M茅lisande Act 5 (excerpt)
Ou est-tu M茅lisande鈥�.. to the finale
Vannina Santoni, soprano, M茅lisande
Alexandre Duhamel, baritone, Golaud
Jean Teitgen, bass, Arkel
Les Si猫cles
Fran莽ois-Xavier Roth, conductor
La mer
III. Dialogue du vent et de la mer
Berlin Philharmonic
Simon Rattle, director
Producer: Johannah Smith
Last on
More episodes
Next
You are at the last episode
Music Played
-
![]()
Claude Debussy
Estampes, No 1 (Pagodes)
Performer: Walter Gieseking.- WARNER CLASSICS : 190295802141.
- WARNER CLASSICS.
- 34.
-
![]()
Claude Debussy
Le Diable dans le beffroi (excerpt)
Singer: Michael Dries. Singer: Virgil Hartinger. Singer: Eugene Villanueva. Orchestra: G枚ttingen Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Christoph-Mathias Mueller. -
![]()
Claude Debussy
Masques for piano
Performer: Steven Osborne.- Claude Debussy Piano Music.
- Hyperion.
- 1.
-
![]()
Claude Debussy
Fantaisie for piano and orchestra (1st mvt)
Performer: Martha Argerich. Orchestra: Berlin State Orchestra. Conductor: Daniel Barenboim.- DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON : 483 7537.
- DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON.
- 1.
-
![]()
Claude Debussy
Pelleas et Melisande, Act 5 (extract)
Singer: Vannina Santoni. Singer: Alexandre Duhamel. Singer: Jean Teitgen. Orchestra: Les Si猫cles. Conductor: Fran莽ois鈥怷avier Roth.- HARMONIA MUNDI : HMM 905352.54.
- HARMONIA MUNDI.
- 37.
-
![]()
Claude Debussy
La Mer, No 3 (Dialogue du vent et de la mer)
Orchestra: Berliner Philharmoniker. Conductor: Sir Simon Rattle.- WARNER CLASSICS : 0724355804556.
- WARNER CLASSICS.
- 4.
Broadcast
- Fri 18 Mar 2022 12:00成人快手 Radio 3
Beethoven Unleashed 鈥� the box set
The complete set of Radio 3 Beethoven Unleashed podcasts, with Donald Macleod.
What was really wrong with Beethoven?
Georgia Mann and neurosurgeon Henry Marsh examine the composer's numerous health problems
Composers A to Z
Visit the extensive audio archive of Radio 3 programmes about Composers and their works.
Who knew? Five eye-opening stories from Composer of the Week
The production team reflects on 5 of Donald Macleod鈥檚 best stories from the last 20 years
Five reasons why we love Parry's Jerusalem
What is the strange power of Jerusalem which makes strong men weep?
A man out of time 鈥� why Parry's music and ideas were at odds with his image...
The composer of Jerusalem was very far from the conservative figure his image suggests.
Composer Help Page
Find resources and contacts for composers from within the classical music industry.