Description
Claude Debussy / Doctor Gradus Ad Parnassum, Jimbo's Lullaby, Serenade For the Doll, The Snow is Dancing, The Little Shepherd, Gollwogg's Cake-Walk / 6X Audio CD 2005 / Masters of Music
MOM 611
UPC 8717423012894
MADE IN THE EU
TOTAL TIME: 310 MINUTES
!!! USED - VERY GOOD !!!
The suite is in six movements, each with an English-language title. This choice of language is most likely Debussy's nod towards Chou-Chou's English governess.The pieces are:
- Doctor Gradus ad Parnassum
- Jimbo's Lullaby
- Serenade for the Doll
- The Snow Is Dancing
- The Little Shepherd
- Golliwogg's Cakewalk
A typical performance of the suite lasts roughly 15 minutes.
1. Doctor Gradus ad Parnassum
The title of the first alludes to sets of piano exercises of that name (Gradus ad Parnassum translates as "Steps to Parnassus"), several of which had been published in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, including one by the prolific publisher of piano exercises Carl Czerny. This piece is a rather ingenious study in finger independence with a twentieth century vocabulary. In the middle, the pianist slows down and tries his material in other keys for exercise. Debussy's "Doctor Gradus Ad Parnassum" is of intermediate difficulty and requires experienced fingers. Debussy told his publisher that the movement should be played "very early in the morning".[3]
2. Jimbo's Lullaby
This work describes an elephant, Jumbo, who came from the French Sudan and lived briefly in the Jardin des plantes in Paris around the time of Debussy's birth. The misspelling "Jimbo" betrays the Parisian accent which often confuses the pronunciation of "um" and "un" with "im" and "in". It is a beautiful lullaby with some dark moments and whole-tone passages in the middle.
3. Serenade of the Doll
This piece, in triple meter, is marked Allegretto ma non troppo (moderately fast, but not too fast). It is a description of a porcelain doll and features the Chinese pentatonic scale throughout. Debussy notes that the entire piece should be played with the soft pedal.
4. The Snow Is Dancing
Technically, this piece is quite difficult as it requires precise semi-detached playing in both hands with the melody between them. Again, there are darker moments in the bass near the middle.
5. The Little Shepherd
"The Little Shepherd" depicts a shepherd with his flute. There are three solos and three commentaries following them. The first solo has a breath mark at the end. This piece has different modes in it and uses dissonances which resolve into tonality.
6. Golliwogg's Cakewalk
At the time of its composition, Golliwoggs were in fashion, due partly to the popularity at that time of the novels of Florence Kate Upton ("golliwog" is a later usage). They were stuffed black dolls with red pants, red bow ties and wild hair, somewhat reminiscent of the blackface minstrels of the time. The cakewalk was a dance or a strut, and the dancer with the most elaborate steps won a cake ("took the cake"). The piece is a ragtime with its syncopations and banjo-like effects. The dynamic range is quite large and very effective.
During the piece, Debussy alludes satirically to Richard Wagner's opera Tristan und Isolde. The opening bars turn the famous half-diminished Tristan chord into a jaunty, syncopated arpeggio,[4] while the middle 'B' section of this dance is interrupted on several occasions by the love-death leitmotif, marked avec une grande émotion (with great feeling). Each quotation is followed by banjo imitations.
Tracklist:
CD 1
Ariette Oubliées For Soprano and Piano
A. Il Pleure Dans Mon Coeur
B. L'ombre Des Arbres
C. Aquarelles-Green
CD 2
Claire de Lune, For Violin and Piano
Fétes Galantes For Soprano and Piano B Fantoches
Fétes Galantes For Soprano And Piano A En Sourdine
CD 3
From Pelléas Et Mélisande: Mes Longs Cheveux Descendent
Golliwogg's Cakewalk, for Violin and Piano
CD 4
From Pelléas Et Mélisande:
Je ne pourrai Plus Sortir
Qu'est-Ce Qui Brille Ainsi
Voici Ce Qu'il Ecrit A Son
Je N'en Dis Rien
CD 5
From Pelléas Et Mélisande:
Je Les Noue, Je Les Noue Aux Branches Du Saule
Prenez Garde; Par Ici, Par Ici
Ah! Je Respire Enfin!
CD 6
From Pelléas et Melisande:
Ce N'est Pas De Cette Blessure
Ouvrez La Fenétre
Mélisande et Mélisande
Music Recorded 1904-1953
