Claude Debussy

Cinq Preludes

Debussy wrote his 'Préludes' for piano between 1909 and 1913. He composed 24 in all, divided equally between two books. He thought of the 'Préludes' as separate pieces of music, so they did not necessarily have to be performed one after the other in a series. In the original publication the titles are grouped together at the end of each part, as a sort of footnote. This enables the performer to get a first impression without being too much influenced by Debussy's painterly titles. The préludes I have chosen are from both the first and the second books. The order in this suite is completely different from the original, however. By way of criterion, I asked myself thefollowing question: Which parts go together to form a new entity? The guideline was provided by the central section, 'La fille aux cheveux de lin', undoubtedly the best-known prélude, and the humorous 'Minstrels'. Orchestrating several of these préludes for a wind orchestra was an enthralling and instructive experience. It is beyond dispute that Debussy was a marvellous orchestrator. In my orchestration I have tried to work for the character and overall mood of the music. I therefore retained the original keys and changed as little as possible of the original writing, with a few exceptions when octaves were added. On some occasions Debussy himself suggested orchestrations, as for example in 'Minstrels', where, among other things, he writes 'tambour' alongside a particular rhythmical passage. Lastly, I always find it interesting to set the music in a broader context. Debussy completed his second book of 'Préludes' in 1913. The same year saw the first performance of Stravinsky's 'Le Sacre du Printemps', in Paris, of all places. One year later the First World War broke out. The end of an era?Karel Deseure