Debussy's Musical Impressionism
"I have no hobbies...They never taught me anything but music." ––Claude Debussy. He brought an entirely new musical style into the public eye; he expressed visual phenomena by appealing to auditory senses; he stepped outside of the grasp of Romanticism, yet still followed its pathways; he paved the road for nearly all modern music to be composed after him; he altered music history. Claude Debussy was nothing if not an absolute master of the art of composition, yet, as a man, he was so much more than just a musician––he was a strong-willed, inventive, and confused man who used music to express his views of life. This essay seeks to acquaint the reader with the life, style, and values of this exquisite composer …show more content…
A student of the naturalistic philosophy, Debussy drew a sizable amount of influence from nature itself. His pieces exhibit this fact in that they perfectly capture the outside realm, but never give credit to the One who created it. Similarly, his opuses, although undeniably beautiful, seem to the Christian listener to be somewhat superficial and un-unified; they lack the explicit form and reason inherent in the works of Christian composers such as Bach. Thus, the naturalistic mindset that Debussy carried through life also found its way into his compositional forms. In closing, Debussy was a man of unquestionable talent and artistry. The obstreperous lifestyle and naturalistic beliefs of this man served not only to shape his musical style, but to effect the musical arena as a whole. Debussy's musical Impressionism is exceptionally crafted and deliberately breathtaking, but it nevertheless served to lead humanity even farther down the path of humanism, naturalism, and the overall mindset that man does not need God; it is, in essence, a stark reminder that something that is outwardly beautiful may, under the surface, be intertwined with
"I have no hobbies...They never taught me anything but music." ––Claude Debussy. He brought an entirely new musical style into the public eye; he expressed visual phenomena by appealing to auditory senses; he stepped outside of the grasp of Romanticism, yet still followed its pathways; he paved the road for nearly all modern music to be composed after him; he altered music history. Claude Debussy was nothing if not an absolute master of the art of composition, yet, as a man, he was so much more than just a musician––he was a strong-willed, inventive, and confused man who used music to express his views of life. This essay seeks to acquaint the reader with the life, style, and values of this exquisite composer …show more content…
A student of the naturalistic philosophy, Debussy drew a sizable amount of influence from nature itself. His pieces exhibit this fact in that they perfectly capture the outside realm, but never give credit to the One who created it. Similarly, his opuses, although undeniably beautiful, seem to the Christian listener to be somewhat superficial and un-unified; they lack the explicit form and reason inherent in the works of Christian composers such as Bach. Thus, the naturalistic mindset that Debussy carried through life also found its way into his compositional forms. In closing, Debussy was a man of unquestionable talent and artistry. The obstreperous lifestyle and naturalistic beliefs of this man served not only to shape his musical style, but to effect the musical arena as a whole. Debussy's musical Impressionism is exceptionally crafted and deliberately breathtaking, but it nevertheless served to lead humanity even farther down the path of humanism, naturalism, and the overall mindset that man does not need God; it is, in essence, a stark reminder that something that is outwardly beautiful may, under the surface, be intertwined with