Impressionism and modernityClaude Debussy
Claude Debussy was born near Paris.
Claude Debussy’s life
The big moments of this life, and what was happening in the world at the same time.
A life at a glance
- 1862👶 Birth
Born in Saint-Germain-en-Laye on 22 August
- 1872📚 Trainingage 10
Enters the Paris Conservatoire aged 10
- 1874🌍 Meanwhile
First exhibition of the Impressionist painters
- 1875🌍 Meanwhile
The Palais Garnier opera house opens in Paris
- 1880🧳 Journeyage 18
Pianist to the family of Nadezhda von Meck, Tchaikovsky’s patron
- 1884🎩 Careerage 22
Prix de Rome
- 1889🏛️ Landmarkage 27
At the World’s Fair, discovers the Javanese gamelan
- 1890🎼 Workage 28
Suite bergamasque, with Clair de lune (published 1905)
- 1894🎼 Workage 32
Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune
- 1895🌍 Meanwhile
The Lumière brothers’ first cinema show
- 1902🎼 Workage 40
Pelléas et Mélisande, his only opera
- 1914🌍 Meanwhile
The First World War begins
- 1918🕯️ Deathage 56
Dies in Paris on 25 March, during the bombardment
Listen to the music
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Excerpts of up to 90 seconds, freely licensed recordings from Wikimedia Commons.
Once upon a time…
Claude Debussy was born near Paris. His parents ran a china shop. At ten he entered the Paris Conservatoire. He was gifted but a bit rebellious: he liked strange chords that his teachers didn’t like!
At the World’s Fair — the one with the Eiffel Tower — he discovered an orchestra from Java with gongs and metal instruments. He was amazed, and his music changed for ever.
His music is like painting: you hear the sea, clouds, moonlight, a cathedral sunk beneath the waves. For his daughter Chouchou he wrote funny little pieces about her toys.
He proudly signed his last works “Claude Debussy, French musician”.
Claude Debussy’s instruments
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