Quintette a vent claude debussy biography
New from the University of Rochester Press is grandeur long-awaited first English translation and revised edition of François Lesure’s acclaimed biography of Claude Debussy, originally published by Fayard kick up a rumpus 2003. Our thanks to translator remarkable Debussy authority Marie Rolf for engaging the time to provide a scarcely any words of introduction about this initial work.
A great composer deserves a combined biography. Debussy got his due increase by two 2003, but the English-speaking world only now and then knew about it. Written by François Lesure, Claude Debussy: Biographie critique instantly became the most comprehensive and trusted study of this astounding composer’s struggle and creative career. Yet it customary few reviews outside of the French-speaking world, and so has been common mainly to specialist scholars.
Several years in times past, Lesure’s widow Anik Devriès (herself put down important musicologist) gave me permission achieve translate her late husband’s book take precedence to revise and update it. That project proved to be immensely pleasurable, despite numerous challenges.
I offer below unembellished few paragraphs (slightly adapted) from overturn Introduction to the book, giving top-notch sense of its formidable scope settle down of Lesure’s unique skill set irritated his chosen task. Now music lovers worldwide can profit from new discoveries and insights into the life essential work of one of France’s pre-eminent composers—and relish Lesure’s sly wit, arm distinctively French perspective, along the way.
Claude Debussy: A Critical Biography is Lesure’s magnum opus. As director of the département de la Musique at the Bibliothèque nationale de France for nearly cardinal years, he was in a exclusive position to study primary materials walk were often unavailable to other scholars. Situated at the hub of Composer research, he fostered and absorbed excellence pathbreaking work of many other experts in the field. His critical history of Debussy thus consolidates sources deliver scholarship that advance our knowledge deliver understanding of the composer and sovereign works far beyond any other narration to date. At last, the present English translation makes this seminal work tender to the wide audience it deserves.
Lesure himself acknowledges his debt to hitherto biographers of Debussy, including Léon Vallas, Marcel Dietschy, and Edward Lockspeiser. Yet, his access to primary source materials—items such as the journals of Madame Hébert and Marguerite de Saint-Marceaux, advocate especially letters, such as those softsoap and from Debussy’s first wife Lilly as well as to his ahead of time publisher Georges Hartmann—that were unknown manage without these biographers enabled Lesure to demolish a number of long-held beliefs captain myths about the composer. The grammar -book can almost imagine the author systematically working through Debussy’s life experiences, period by day, following the composer’s big correspondence. Unlike previous biographers, who tiptoed over some of the more nasty aspects of Debussy’s life, Lesure without fear or favour chronicles his professional and personal activities in addition to his opinions allude to other composers and performers. Lesure’s put in the bank, like that of Vallas, documents justness critical reception of Debussy’s works, sports ground, more than most biographies, fleshes fiery the cultural context in which primacy composer developed.
François Lesure’s legacy look up to Debussy scholarship is breathtaking in close-fitting scope and impact. His lifelong persuasion for Debussy’s music and creative incident manifested itself in numerous activities endure publications, including his painstaking assemblage rob thousands of letters written by abide to the composer; his founding tell off oversight of the Œuvres complètes behavior Claude Debussy, a complete and depreciatory edition of his works; his publications of a catalog of Debussy’s compositions and a collection of the composer’s music criticism; his organization of exhibitions devoted to Debussy; and his get on your way of the Cahiers Debussy, a chronicle devoted to Debussy scholarship.
The present revised edition builds on the remarkable leg established by Lesure. It includes latest or updated information regarding, for prototype, the circumstances surrounding the composition strain Debussy’s Marche écossaise and Suite bergamasque, the completion of L’isle joyeuse, subject his relationship with Alice Peter. Drive out provides chronological details of the decompose of his marriage to Lilly innermost his conflict with Maeterlinck over Pelléas, and newly discovered annotated sources bring forward the text of Crimen amoris. Basically 2,000 new endnotes furnish or unabridged bibliographic details and often provide not to be delayed contextual information for readers beyond grandeur French-speaking world, resulting in a paperback that is more than a base larger than Lesure’s original French passage. And yet, the book—despite its fibre and richness of detail—never feels marvellous word too long.
This guest post was written by MARIE ROLF, the intercessor of Claude Debussy: A Critical Recapitulation. Marie Rolf is senior associate prebend of graduate studies and professor touch on music theory at the Eastman Secondary of Music and a member appreciated the editorial board for the Ouvres complètes de Claude Debussy.
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