Debussy: A Painter in Sound

ISBN: 1524731927

Author: Walsh, Stephen

Condition: New

One of the most revered composers of the twentieth century, Claude Debussy (1862-1918) achieved the unheard of: he reinvented the language of music without alienating the majority of music lovers. Debussy drove French music into entirely new regions of beauty and excitement at a time when old traditions threatened to stifle it. Yet despite his profound influence on French culture, Debussys own life was complicated and often troubled by struggles over money, women, and ill health. Here, Stephen Walsh, acclaimed author of Stravinsky, chronicles both the composer himself and the unique moment in European history that bore him. Walshs engagingly original approach is to enrich a lively biography with analyses of Debussys music: from his first daring breaks with the rules as a Conservatoire student to his achievements as the greatest French composer of his time.