Debussy, allergic to any grand gesture, was undoubtedly one of the first anti-Romanticists. He was more interested in Gregorian chant, the Javanese gamelan or in Japanese woodcuts, than in the ego tripping of many 19th century geniuses. The rhythms and movements he liked were not the tired waltz and marching rhythms of classical music, but the movements of the clouds (as in "Nuages" from the
… "Nocturnes") or of the sea (as in "Jeux de vagues" from "La mer"). In other words, he was concerned with that which is constantly changing and yet remains the same. Beethoven also listened to nature, but this had no significant influence on the syntax or color of his music. With Wagner all this is again much more subtle, because he managed to translate his love for nature into free structures, sensitive harmonies and orchestral colors that were unprecedented. Debussy may hate Teutonic violence, but his relationship with the wizard of Bayreuth was more complex in that regard than he would sometimes admit. Regardless, Debussy had an innovative (but essentially timeless) take on movement in music, and the aforementioned "Jeux de vagues" and the ballet "Jeux" are highlights in that regard. The subject of "Jeux", a game of tennis, may not have been Debussy's preference, but it did inspire him to one of his best works. The orchestral works "Jeux", "La mer" and "Nocturnes" can be heard in (partly live) performances by the Schönberg Chor and the Wiener Philharmoniker conducted by Lorin Maazel. (HJ) _more
