The Cambridge Companion to Debussy

Often considered the father of twentieth-century music, Debussy was a visionary whose influence is still felt. This book offers a wide-ranging series of essays on Debussy the man, the musician and composer. It contains new insights into his character, his relationship to his Parisian environment and his musical works across all genres, with challenging views on the roles of nature and eroticism in his life and music. His music is considered through the characteristic themes of sonority, rhythm, tonality and form, with closing chapters considering the performance and reception of his music in the first years of the new century and our view of Debussy today as a major force in Western culture. This comprehensive view of Debussy is written by a team of specialists for students and informed music lovers.

? A comprehensive view of the composer and his work
? Contains new insights into the man and his musical techniques
? An accessible book for students and music lovers

CONTENIDOS:
Chronology
Introduction, by Simon Trezise
Part I. Man, Musician and Culture:
1. Debussy the man (Robert Orledge);
2. Debussy?s Parisian affiliations (Barbara Kelly);
3. Debussy as musician and critic (Deirdre Donnellon);

Part II. Musical Explorations:
4. Debussy on stage (David Grayson);
5. The prosaic Debussy (Roger Nichol);
6. Debussy and expression (Nigel Simeone);
7. Exploring the erotic in Debussy?s music (Julie McQuinn);
8. Debussy and nature (Caroline Potter);

Part III. Technical Studies:
9. Debussy?s tonality: a formal perspective (Boyd Pomeroy);
10. The Debussy sound: colour, texture, gesture (Mark deVoto);
11. Music?s inner dance: Debussy?s form, pacing and complexity (Richard Parks);
12. Debussy?s ?rhythmicised time? (Simon Trezise);

Part IV. Performance and Assessment:
13. Debussy in performance (Charles Timbrell);
14. Debussy now (Arnold Whittall.)