Claude Debussy La Boîte à joujoux Vidéos
Dernière mise à jour
2024-04-28
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Claude Debussy Caplet Charles Dutoit Doll Upton Mock Richard Wagner Emma Bardac 1919
The sixth and final piece from Claude Debussy's "Children's Corner Suite", composed for piano and later orchestrated by Andre Caplet, 'Golliwogg's Cakewalk', is performed here by the Orchestre Symphonique de Montreal, led by the great Charles Dutoit. A Golliwogg is a doll, a black doll with large white eyes, that was the subject of a book by Florence Kate Upton. Unfortunately, the character became a symbol of racism in the U.S. The grotesque looking doll often had large paws for hands and, sometimes, claws. The fact that the character carried racist connotation in the states didn't carry over to France, where Debussy, 'artiste Parisien', composed the piece. A 'Cakewalk' is a dance. The origins of the dance are found in the southern U.S. in the period of slavery. The dance was a way for slaves to mock their masters, dancing about and joking the aristocratic and grandiose gestures of southern high-society, the rich folks who owned the slaves. Debussy, ever the man to mock or play upon icons, used the piece to poke fun at the German composer of the opera "Tristan und Isolde", Richard Wagner. This piece was composed during the height of tension between French and German composers. Debussy references what has come to be known as the "Tristan Chord", a new and innovative series of notes that opened Wagner's popular opera. You will hear the notes, which carry a slight dissonance, around 1:15, followed by an orchestrated 'laugh' or mimicing of laughter; this repeats several times throughout the piece (in the piano version, the staccato notes are unmistakable as laughter, in the orchestrated version, they are less mimic, yet more discernable). Debussy was thumbing his nose at the German system of art (or lack thereof, as he saw it) and the Germans in general. The "War to End All Wars" ensued 10 years after the publishing of this Suite and Debussy would pass away from cancer during the bombings of his beloved France by German aircraft. The second photo you'll see is of Debussy on picnic with his daughter, Claude-Emma, whom he adored and affectionately called Chouchou. Debussy dedicated the entire Children's Corner Suite to Chouchou and would later dedicate a Ballet Suite, "La Boite a joujoux" ("The Toy Box" or "The Toy Shop", depending upon translation), to his beloved Claude-Emma, so named after her father, obviously, and mother, Emma Bardac. Sadly, Chouchou passed away from diphtheria in 1919 at the young age of 13, only a year after Debussy's untimely death due to colon cancer. Still, this Suite is considered to be one of Debussy's best compositions and it is certainly one of his most difficult to perform on piano; it is a beautiful example of what the master composer did to change the musical landscape forever. Caplet's transcription is wonderful and carries the symbolism of dear Debussy's work elegantly and with flair. Enjoy!
Claude Debussy Doll Caplet Charles Dutoit Emma Bardac 1919
The third piece from Claude Debussy's "Children's Corner Suite", composed for piano and later orchestrated by Andre Caplet, 'Serenade for the Doll', is performed here by the Orchestre Symphonique de Montreal, led by the great Charles Dutoit. In Debussy's piano version of the piece, he used much less pedal than usual (his use of the pedals was a major turning point in piano playing; Debussy wanted to make the piano less an instrument of percussion and saw and accomplished that end with the pedals as the tool); this doesn't carry over quite so well in the orchestrated version, but the symbolism (Debussy loathed the term 'impressionism') is still quite clear as it relates to the title. Caplet's use of the woods, in my humble opinion, in the orchestration make the piece much more playful than the piano version, but the piano version is still amazing to me as well. The second photo you'll see is of Debussy on picnic with his daughter, Claude-Emma, whom he adored and affectionately called Chouchou. Debussy dedicated the entire Children's Corner Suite to Chouchou and would later dedicate a Ballet Suite, "La Boite a joujoux" ("The Toy Box" or "The Toy Shop", depending upon translation), to his beloved Claude-Emma, so named after her father, obviously, and mother, Emma Bardac. Sadly, Chouchou passed away from diphtheria in 1919 at the young age of 13, only a year after Debussy's untimely death due to colon cancer. Still, this Suite is considered to be one of Debussy's best compositions and it is certainly one of his most difficult to perform on piano; it is a beautiful example of what the master composer did to change the musical landscape forever. Caplet's transcription is wonderful and carries the symbolism of dear Debussy's work elegantly and with flair. Enjoy!
Claude Debussy Caplet Charles Dutoit Muzio Clementi Bach Emma Bardac 1919
The first piece from Claude Debussy's "Children's Corner Suite", composed for piano and later orchestrated by Andre Caplet, 'Doctor Gradus ad Parnassum', is performed here by the Orchestre Symphonique de Montreal, led by the great Charles Dutoit. The title of this piece references Classical-era composer (and father of modern piano technique) Muzio Clementi's instructional pieces entitled 'Gradus ad Parnassum' or 'Steps to Parnassus'; Parnassus being a mountain, but also in Greek mythology, a sacred site of the nine muses, the champions of the arts. Clementi's work, in turn, was based upon a particularly famous Prelude, the first piece in Bach's "Well-Tempered Clavier". The second photo you'll see is of Debussy on picnic with his daughter, Claude-Emma, whom he adored and affectionately called Chouchou. Debussy dedicated the entire Children's Corner Suite to Chouchou and would later dedicate a Ballet Suite, "La Boite a joujoux" ("The Toy Box" or "The Toy Shop", depending upon translation), to his beloved Claude-Emma, so named after her father, obviously, and mother, Emma Bardac. Sadly, Chouchou passed away from diphtheria in 1919 at the young age of 13, only a year after Debussy's untimely death due to colon cancer. Still, this Suite is considered to be one of Debussy's best compositions and it is certainly one of his most difficult to perform on piano; it is a beautiful example of what the master composer did to change the musical landscape forever. Caplet's transcription is wonderful and carries the symbolism of dear Debussy's work elegantly and with flair. Enjoy!
Debussy Philharmonie Paris Opéra Rouen Orchestre Opéra Rouen
La Boîte à joujoux de Debussy, un monde merveilleux de poupées de soldats de bois et de liberté. André Manoukian, récitant du concert, explique son intention dans cette entrevue. À écouter les 23 et 24 novembre à Rouen : (http•••) et le 25 à la Philharmonie de Paris : (http•••) Direction musicale : Giedre Slekyte Dessin en direct, vidéo : Grégoire Pont Récitant, texte : André Manoukian Orchestre de l'Opéra de Rouen Normandie Dans le cadre d'Orchestres en fête
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