Virginia Tech Multimedia Music Dictionary Composer Biographies

Claude-Achille Debussy

Born: August 22, 1862 in St. Germain-en-Laye, France
Died: March 25, 1918 in Paris, France
Nationality: French
Era: Romantic
Main genre: Orchestra Music, Chamber Music, Songs, Opera
Main works:
Orchestral Music:
L'Enfant prodique (cantata)
La mer
Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun (Prélude à "L'après-midi d'un faune")
Nocturnes
Images
La damoiselle élue
Cinq poèmes de Baudelaire
Clair de lune
Piano Music:
The incidental music to the Martydon of St. Sebastian
Ballet:
Juex
Opera:
Pelléas et Mélisande
Brief biography:

Claude Debussy started off at the age of 10 as a brilliant student winning prizes for compositions at the Paris Conservatoire de Musique. He like was different from musicians because he did not follow the rules. Instead he clustered notes together. He soon was well known and was called to work for the Russian socialite Madame Nadezhda von meck. Debussy also was well known for his relationships with women. He had affairs causing previous women to attempt suicide with the exception of Therese Roger. Debussy's new style of music helped to open the door for jazz. Debussy died of cancer.

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