Debussy, La mer The sea is beckoning, and I’m going to finish out this pre-Lenten season with more maritime music. Impressionism lent itself well to depicting various aspects of nature, perhaps none better than the sea. And the prime representative of Impressionism in music is … Read more
Ravel, Ma mère l’Oye (Cinq Pièces Enfantine) Maurice Ravel’s Mother Goose Suite consists of five short pieces for children. Originally written for piano four hands in 1910, Ravel created the orchestral version the succeeding year. We have featured works by Ravel several times in this series, more … Read more
Debussy, Sonata for Cello and Piano When you think of the music of Claude Debussy (1862-1918), you might conjure up big washes of sound—the kind of sonorities you would find in his seascape La Mer. Or perhaps you think of the ethereal and bucolic Prélude … Read more
Ravel: Valses Nobles et Sentimentales Waltzes were once scandalous, as Professor Carol likes to point out. The court dances of the 17th and 18th centuries featured intricate footwork; a couple’s fingertips might touch lightly. In the waltz, however, a man would grab a woman by … Read more
Debussy: Girl With the Flaxen Hair How do you go about choosing what to listen to? The question makes an assumption that you are the one who gets to choose. That happens less and less often, it seems. If you listen to the radio, or … Read more
