Debussy, Satie, and Ravel: French Impressionist Music
Claude Debussy’s *Prix de Rome*
Claude Debussy won the *Prix de Rome* with his cantata *L’enfant prodigue*. In Paris, he frequented gatherings with Mallarmé, the symbolist poet whose poems inspired one of his most celebrated works, *Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune*, known for its very original timbre.
Debussy was excited by Maurice Maeterlinck, the chief representative of Symbolist theater, and his drama *Pelléas et Mélisande*, to which he devotedly set music. The action, developed in the Middle Ages, takes place in an atmosphere of dream-laden symbolic allusions and assigns dialogues. Debussy gave the singers a recitative and yet melodic style related to the representative of Italian Mannerism. He conceived the work as a lyrical drama in order not to interrupt the fluid melodic-dramatic flow.
At the Universal Exhibition of 1889, he encountered Spanish folklore and exotic music, which impressed him deeply. His work shows a special preference for modal scales and harmonies. Debussy’s art is an art for the senses, especially its suggestion. His symphonic works denote exquisite care and contributions to instrumentation.
Principal Characteristics of Debussy’s Music:
- Abandonment of traditional forms; the form is dictated by the development of the musical idea itself.
- Expansion of the concept of tonality through the use of ancient and exotic scales and the free disposition of chords.
- Concern for timbre as a source of expression.
- Pursuit of aestheticism, where the work of art is regarded as an end in itself, a necessary and useless object.
Erik Satie: A Precursor
Erik Satie cannot be considered an Impressionist composer in the strictest sense. However, his quirky personality and the influence of some of his works on Debussy increase his importance. Satie’s ironic and mocking character is revealed in the titles given to some of his short compositions, such as *Trois morceaux en forme de poire*. He later drifted towards a neoclassical style. He collaborated with Jean Cocteau and Pablo Picasso, writing the ballet *Parade*. His *Socrate* is based on texts by Plato.
Maurice Ravel: Mastery of Orchestration
Maurice Ravel, like Debussy, was anti-Romantic, although not completely rejecting Wagner’s influence and followers. He was eclectic, taking advantage of what suited him from each style and making the result absolutely novel. Using Impressionist procedures, he fits into the modern neoclassical movement through his eagerness to refine, a constant concern for coherence, and formal use. He uses balanced melodies and colorful harmonies, contributing to the expansion of tonality.
His piano output is extensive, including the early *Menuet antique* and *Habanera*. Ravel is admired for his knowledge of the orchestra and his amazing skills as an orchestrator. Many orchestral pages were written in principle for piano. His orchestral works are models of clarity, despite generally requiring a large number of performers, from whom he extracts the full potential of their timbral possibilities. Notable works include *Daphnis et Chloé* and *Boléro*. He composed two piano concertos and orchestra in a traditional style, as well as various pieces of chamber music.
Other Composers
Albert Roussel and Florent Schmitt are followers of the movement, seeking to create Impressionist music. Roussel, if he satisfies himself, is freed from picturesque elements. His ballet is *Bacchus et Ariane*. Schmitt was a musician attentive to all that was new, although not a revolutionary. One of his notable works is *La Tragédie de Salomé*.
The French school, centered around Parisian Impressionism, became the musical and cultural center of Europe, influencing composers such as Manuel de Falla and Ottorino Respighi.