Claude Debussy (1862 - 1918) was the best known proponent of the French Impressionist style of music composition, with the other most famous name being Ravel. Like the Impressionist paintings that had the similar visual style and influence, the Impressionist works of music aim to portay a visual scene or object without clear cut lines and employing an almost hazy filter over the entire scene.

Debussy was quite heavily influenced by Eastern music and Jazz, which led to a unique style of orchestration and composition which was not really taken up by other composers of his generation.

_{"Impression, soleil levant" by Monet (1872)}

The Children's Corner is a set of six short pieces for piano solo, which were dedicated to Debussy's daughter, Claude-Emma, who was known by the nickname "Chou-Chou". Despite the name, the pieces were not written as pieces to be played by children, rather, they were written as pieces that were inspired by childhood and in some cases, the toys that were in her daughter's collection of toys.

The names of the individual pieces are:

1. Doctor Gradus ad Parnassum
2. Jimbo's Lullaby
3. Serenade for the Doll
4. The Snow is Dancing
5. The Little Shepherd
6. Golliwogg's Cakewalk

The Performers

The pianist for this performance is the German pianist Benjamin Moser. I'm afraid that I know next to nothing about him, however I do enjoy this performance of the Children's Corner collection. I hope you also will enjoy it!

Previous Curating Music History posts

Last movement from Brahms Violin Concerto

Finale from 4th Symphony (Tchaikovsky)

Last movement from "Jupiter" Symphony #41 (Mozart)

Overture to Midsummer Night's Dream (Mendelssohn)

Histoire du Tango: Cafe 1930 (Piazzolla)

Last movement from Violin sonata 2 (Prokofiev)

Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra (Britten)

'Sonata in d minor for violin and continuo" (Elisabeth Jacquet de la Guerre)

'Sonata duodecima' for Violin and Continuo(Isabella Leonarda)

Chaconne from Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme (Lully)

Alla Danza Tedesca from Beethoven String Quartet Op.130

6 Elizabethan Songs: Argento