Suite Bergamasque by Claude Debussy
Suite bergamasque is a piano suite in four movements by Claude Debussy: Prélude, Menuet, Clair de lune and Passepied. Debussy began it around 1890, and when it was finally published in 1905 he wrote the date 1890 on the proofs, leaving no doubt that it was an early work. The route to print was not straight. Debussy did not see the suite into print in 1890. He revised it significantly, and it was published in Paris by Fromont in 1905. Two titles changed on the way: the Passepied was first called Pavane, and Clair de lune began as Promenade sentimentale. The title Clair de lune comes from a poem by Paul Verlaine whose opening stanza mentions bergamasks, and the name of the suite points to Bergamo, the city traditionally seen as the home of Harlequin in the commedia dell'arte. Clair de lune has become famous far beyond the suite and is one of Debussy's best-known works for piano. Its slow glow in D flat major can make the other movements seem like quiet company, yet the Prélude in F major, the Menuet in A minor and the Passepied in F sharp minor each have a character of their own, and they reward being played in order.
О Suite Bergamasque
Suite bergamasque is a piano suite in four movements by Claude Debussy: Prélude, Menuet, Clair de lune and Passepied. Debussy began it around 1890, and when it was finally published in 1905 he wrote the date 1890 on the proofs, leaving no doubt that it was an early work.
The route to print was not straight. Debussy did not see the suite into print in 1890. He revised it significantly, and it was published in Paris by Fromont in 1905. Two titles changed on the way: the Passepied was first called Pavane, and Clair de lune began as Promenade sentimentale. The title Clair de lune comes from a poem by Paul Verlaine whose opening stanza mentions bergamasks, and the name of the suite points to Bergamo, the city traditionally seen as the home of Harlequin in the commedia dell'arte.
Clair de lune has become famous far beyond the suite and is one of Debussy's best-known works for piano. Its slow glow in D flat major can make the other movements seem like quiet company, yet the Prélude in F major, the Menuet in A minor and the Passepied in F sharp minor each have a character of their own, and they reward being played in order.