Ce qu'a vu le vent d'ouest

Background and influence

The title of the piece was inspired by "The Garden of Paradise", a fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen that was translated into French and published in 1907. Debussy was known to have an affinity towards Andersen's stories, and it has been theorized that the author's character Zephyr – the West Wind – would have "appealed" to the composer when he was writing the prelude. Furthermore, the technical aspects of this piece were influenced by the works of Franz Liszt. This is evident in Debussy's utilization of "sweeping arpeggios" at the beginning of the piece, which lead towards loud booming chords and extreme dissonance.

History

The prelude is one of three works from Book I – along with La sérénade interrompue and La cathédrale engloutie – whose date of completion is unknown. It premiered at the Stockbridge Casino in Stockbridge, Massachusetts on July 26, 1910, with Walter Morse Rummel performing the work.

Due to the challenging nature of this prelude, it is considered a virtuosic performance piece, and the first of this kind in his book of preludes.

Musical analysis

Placement within Preludes, Book I

Debussy was known for his extreme meticulousness in the placement of his preludes. Pianist and musical writer Paul Roberts asserts that this prelude, along with the prelude that precedes it and the one that follows it, forms "the central arch" of Book I's structure, since the three pieces provide the most "dramatic contrast" out of all the preludes in the first book. The sixth prelude, Des pas sur la neige (Footprints in the Snow), exudes a feeling of sadness and isolation, while the La fille aux cheveux de lin (The Girl with the Flaxen Hair)—the eighth—brings about a sense of warmth and gentleness. In stark contrast to both these preludes, Le Vent d'Ouest evokes a tumultuous nature, with Lederer describing the prelude as exhibiting "cathartic violence". By placing these three preludes in this particular order, Debussy ensured that this prelude—arguably the most technically challenging prelude of the entire collection—was situated in-between the two that are the simplest to play out of the twenty-four.

Composition

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References

Footnotes Bibliography

References

1. Samson, Charley. (January 18, 2010). "Wednesday January 20, 2010". Colorado Public Radio.
2. Roberts, Paul. (2001). "Images: The Piano Music of Claude Debussy". Hal Leonard Corporation.
3. (2007). "Préludes (Premier livre)". Centre de documentation Claude Debussy.
4. Timbrell, Charles. (August 1992). "Claude Debussy and Walter Rummel: Chronicle of a Friendship, with New Correspondence". Oxford University Press.
5. Lee, M. Owen. (January 1, 2006). "The Great Instrumental Works: Unlocking the Masters Series". [[Hal Leonard Corporation]].
6. Weiss, Christopher. (2003). "Debussy Préludes Books I & II". Ivory Classics Foundation.