Biography
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Born
22 August 1862
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Born In
Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Yvelines, Île-de-France, France
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Died
25 March 1918 (aged 55)
Achille Claude Debussy (22 August 1862 – 25 March 1918) was a French composer often associated with Impressionism, a label he rejected. He was a significant figure in late 19th- and early 20th-century music.
Born into a modest family with little cultural background, Debussy showed early musical talent and was admitted to the Conservatoire de Paris at the age of ten. Initially focusing on piano studies, he later turned to composition, despite resistance from the institution's conservative faculty. It took several years for him to develop his mature style, and he gained international recognition in 1902 with his only completed opera, "Pelléas et Mélisande."
Debussy's orchestral works include "Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune" (1894), "Nocturnes" (1897–1899), and "Images" (1905–1912). His music reacted against the German tradition, particularly Wagner, and he considered the classical symphony outdated, creating instead "symphonic sketches" such as "La mer" (1903–1905). His piano compositions include sets of 24 "Préludes" and 12 "Études." Throughout his career, he composed mélodies based on a variety of poetry, including his own texts. Influenced by the Symbolist poets of the late 19th century, Debussy also composed works featuring chorus, such as the early "La Damoiselle élue" and the later "Le Martyre de saint Sébastien." In his later years, he concentrated on chamber music, completing three of six planned sonatas for different instrument combinations.
Debussy’s style was shaped by early influences including Russian and Far Eastern music and the works of Chopin. His innovative harmony and orchestral colour challenged much of the contemporary musical establishment. His compositions influenced many later composers, such as Béla Bartók, Igor Stravinsky, George Gershwin, Olivier Messiaen, George Benjamin, and jazz musician Bill Evans. Debussy died of cancer in Paris at the age of 55, after a composing career spanning just over thirty years.
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