Claude Debussy - Petite Suite for Piano 4 hands (1889)

Claude-Achille Debussy (22 August 1862 - 25 March 1918) was a French composer. Along with Maurice Ravel, he was one of the most prominent figures associated with Impressionist music, though he himself disliked the term when applied to his compositions. He was made Chevalier of the Legion of Honour in his native France in 1903. Debussy was among the most influential composers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and his use of non-traditional scales and chromaticism influenced many composers who followed.
Please support my channel:
ko-fi.com/bartjebartmans
Petite Suite for Piano 4-hands (1886-89)
I - En Bateau (0:00)
II - Cortège (3:11)
III - Menuet (6:15)
IV - Ballet (9:08)
Anastasia Gromoglasova (primo) and Liubov Gromoglasova (secondo) performing at their duo recital at the Small hall of the Moscow Conservatoire.
The suite, which was composed from 1886 to 1889, was first performed on 2 February 1889 by Debussy and pianist-publisher Jacques Durand at a salon in Paris. It may have been written due to a request - possibly from Durand - for a piece that would be accessible to skilled amateurs, as its simplicity is in stark contrast with the modernist works that Debussy was writing at the time.
The first two movements are settings of poems from the volume Fêtes galantes by Paul Verlaine

[@iamtheduckman112]

Each time I hear this piece I always imagined flying gorillas and lawnmowers waltzing together and flying and soaring across the sky as they glide with their invisible wings and I know that might sound like a weird concept but it’s definitely a good kind of weird concept that I don’t imagine too far on making this piece a Fantasia like short and have the flying gorillas and lawnmowers be the premise but yeah this piece was beyond great and man Debussy’s music is just timeless man.

[@geneosis]

you have a lot of imagination... :)

[@dexterfurber9730]

One of Debussy's simplest compositions but filled with such soothing harmony and charming melody throughout, one of my favourite piano duets.

[@donvarner3891]

Oh nevermind, super sorry

[@donvarner3891]

Yes it’s a beautiful piece :)

[@kamerondeacon3657]

Instablaster.

[@faridrosero6040]

So beautiful, and terrifying because I have to play the entire piece with my teacher in 3 months, help

[@magicmagi]

Excuse me simple?😂are u even a pianisz

[@michaels7889]

Debussy's skill in the first two Verlaine pieces is the way he seems to capture the poet's double-entendres. My parents played this suite and Bergamasque, the latter my first conscious transcendental experience at 4 years old, frequently during my childhood, so they became ingrained; their emotional charm remains. The simplicity is more technique than content I think, as this recording shows.

[@richterkleiber]

A beautiful performance of a wonderful piece. Many thanks!

[@rafarsuffi]

I - En Bateau 0:00 II - Cortège 3:11 III - Menuet 6:15 IV - Ballet 9:08

[@andyyt2194]

Good you remember all of them

[@andyyt2194]

In a Boat 1:00

[@andyyt2194]

I mean , In a Boat 0:00

[@NoSkill.x]

Helped me a lot thx

[@PhilippeBrun-qy3st]

Il y a bien des sortilèges dans les sonorités multicolores du piano...Debussy le savait. Merci infiniment.

[@paulagonzalezgarcia5552]

No words... Just amazing!! ❤ I love this piece 😱😍

[@jennifertamura4544]

Oo[[[[

[@JDHEHD]

Menuet is my favorite one

[@jessv9316]

Same. I listen to it when I'm stressed.

[@thesanster]

Thank you.

[@tomascostero9962]

I`m so glad this channel exists

[@corinnechicheportiche8072]

I absolutely adore the ballet

[@ruslan.denshaev]

The delicious ending of 'En bateau'...

[@adel-ko3hu]

you have got to be a incredibly sad individual to dislike this

[@florig1124]

Magnifique. Surtout pour une oeuvre de jeunesse...

[@yingbozheng4318]

The Menuet is beautiful.

[@adrianjohnson7920]

haunting. . . elagaic, .melancholy playfulness. . . .

[@kikaslivkova6399]

breathtaking

[@shin-i-chikozima]

No beauty is as interesting and intriguing and captivating as the beauty of this melody

[@mayonueve]

Sublime . . . .

[@SergioLOSOWICH]

Woooow Sounds fantastic!

[@stefaniag.6012]

Troppo bello!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@davidrehak3539]

Claude Debussy:Kis Szvit 1.En bateau (Vitorlázás,Andantino) 00:00 2.Cortége (Kíséret,Moderato) 03:11 3.Menuet:Moderato 06:15 4.Balett:Allegro giusto 09:08 Anastasia Gromoglasova és Liubov Gromoglasova-zongora

[@davidrehak3539]

Köszönöm az értékelést

[@mannymarotta]

Cortege and Ballet are sooooo good

[@SergioLOSOWICH]

Good job congratulations!

[@billygilmusic5072]

I'm getting ready to perform this piece with another teacher at the music school I work at and this recording is hands down the BEST I've found. Thank you for uploading and also for showing both parts separately (I'm doing Primo).

[@vl8584]

How did it go?

[@SergeiRachmaninoff287]

How did it go??

[@gabriel_ohland]

Ok everybody, I'm going back to study, not enough for today. Enjoy music, have a great time, bye.

[@softteu]

Meu Deus, que divino.

[@jullesju]

Esplêndido.

[@v.6297]

O terceiro movimento parece música de video-game, e a composição é de 1889! PQP 100 anos de precedência

[@Sayeedur123]

I heard this played for piano and 2 flutes and came here to listen to the original.

[@Varlice1]

Bela interpretação!

[@Mezzotenor]

Beautiful performance, a tasteful marriage of precision and spontaneity. Yes, the piece may be written for amateurs, but it's all the more worthy for being an enjoyable introduction to certain 20th century harmonic tendencies like modality, unusual modulations, and chords of the 9th, 11th and 13th.

[@Enr227]

Not "amateurs". Students.

[@stringbean2620]

I've also wondered how Debussy composed this piece. Does it say anywhere if he simplified both parts on a piano staff and then expanded on it, or if he had another person helping him at the time, or he was able just to write it in his head, I'm curious.

[@beni2001du69]

He was able to write it alone

[@stringbean2620]

I understand he was able to write it alone, I am talking about hearing it in his head. When I have composed pieces earlier, sometimes it is nice to prerecord yourself or have someone help you play a part while explore options. I wonder if he had that kind of help.

[@toothlesstoe]

@@stringbean2620 I'm pretty sure he could audiate one part as he was playing the other. If you have a solid grasp of music theory, it shouldn't be hard to do. But yes, it would have been nice to have an assistant play the other part together with him so that he could hear it as it should be heard. Too bad recording was in its infancy back then and thus he'd have to have someone play it with him whenever he wanted to listen to it. Thinking about a scenario like that makes me glad we have advanced recording technology whereby a single pianist can record piano pieces with any number of parts. It's something I certainly don't take for granted.

[@rafaeldemagalhaes7958]

Think of an orchestra.One doesn't have to gather all musicians to compose a piece.

[@albertomartin4812]

He was a incredibly skilled composer for orchestra, what is way harder than a piano duet, so I guess he did it alone.

[@toothlesstoe]

I think I'm gonna try my hand at recording this next

[@m10538]

If this music doesn't cheer up up, I don't know what will!

[@princeandrey]

Even "cheery" music is poignant when it is beautiful. That's what I hear in this music! Nothing inspires longing more than beauty!

[@toothlesstoe]

The description isn't quite accurate, considering that this work is NOT in stark contrast to any other work he would have written during the 1880s, as that stark contrast wouldn't come later until the 1910s.

[@harryandruschak2843]

Wikipedia has a short article on this composition.

[@Medtnaculuss]

I always wondered how one should tackle 4 hands parts with this layout. Super annoying to put together.

[@hielich4824]

Actually, this piece has sheet music with both parts on it.

[@andreamartini7880]

6:37 "Oh, how nice!" 7:05 "Help me! I just had a heart attack!"

[@toothlesstoe]

What?

[@andreamartini7880]

toothless toe It was just... Wow...

[@v.6297]

Best movement

[@andyyt2194]

Andrea Martini hahahahahahahahaha

[@andyyt2194]

I mean hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahaha

[@zack-qm3rg]

3:58

[@trenatragedie]

This is easy to listen more than the other compose from debussy

[@romanjaviergiordano]

It is... for generic ears.

[@flyingpenandpaper6119]

@@romanjaviergiordano Calm down.

[@lordspongebobofhousesquare1616]

hence the name, petite suite!

[@therealrealludwigvanbeethoven]

@@romanjaviergiordanoYou are severely misguided; how pitiful!

[@andyyt2194]

So,fast boi

[@PianoTandem]

Beautiful music! If you want to play this piece on the piano yourself, I uploaded a playalong for pianists and amateurs

[@mariacrespo3122]

piano

[@danettte]

so true

[@crewassang]

6:16 6:16

[@catherinepoteat]

It reminds me of a Studio Ghibli film. Or I guess you could say that Joe Hisaishi sounds like Debussy 😂 (there’s a Sideways video on my exact musings)

[@anastazjakorczakowska7650]

Anyone knows what grade this could be ?

[@suchs4979]

i read that this is around grade 5?

[@seanchristopherfranc]

A+

[@toothlesstoe]

Intermediate

[@Sarasdad91]

I heard this on Bicentennial Man and loved it. Luckily the song....oops....I mean composition was in the credits. nice to hear the whole composition.

[@toothlesstoe]

This isn't a song.

[@HYSTERICK]

rather a divine composition

[@princeandrey]

@@toothlesstoe Details..details :) But why quarrel with an appreciative comment?!

[@Sarasdad91]

@@princeandrey Thank you.

[@rossanoaprile3492]

Is there a sheet in pdf?

[@bartjebartmans]

You can find it on IMSLP

[@pianini704]

0:48 1:47

[@rafaelmoralesbvv4411]

4:32

[@pancakepals-3231]

1:25

[@user-di7wk6ll8y]

Fantasic performance, But sorry to miss # on 11:33

[@bartjebartmans]

You are not going to tell me you never make mistakes? Actually you pointing it out is a mistake. Mistakes are part of being a musician, nobody is immune to it.

[@toothlesstoe]

Boo-hoo. It's not like it ruins the music; for that you'd have to have a clusterfuck of wrong notes. An occasional wrong note can even enhance the harmony or melodic direction in rare instances anyway, so there's that. Also, there were no missed notes at 11:33, dumbass LMFAO

[@MomLAU]

I listened to that part while looking at the music and I didn't hear any mistakes.

[@not2tees]

You could make a very sound case for Debussy not being admitted to Heaven, based on his personal relationships with the unfortunate women he injured, but . . . Debussy seems to already have a pass to Heaven, based on his music. The En Bateau opening section is so simple and yet so perfect and quite fresh after so many years. I think there might be a very sexy area of Heaven for such as M. Debussy, yes?

[@toothlesstoe]

Well, considering heaven doesn't exist, no.

[@not2tees]

@@toothlesstoe Oh, I don't say that Heaven exists for everyone.

[@princeandrey]

@@not2tees Touche!

[@chelseacheng1074]

the playing is fr too fast, I recommend to listen at speed 0.75

[@bartjebartmans]

I recommend you to respect the performer's choice of speed. To artificially alter, manipulate is unethical and is borderline troll behavior.

[@lindenpeters2601]

I agree some movements are too fast. So fast, you can't relax and enjoy the melodies. It feels rushed, like instead of settling on a tempo they are trying to accelerando the entire time. There is some merit in considering the composer's intent and titles of each movement. The Ballet is meant be a dance. En Bateau is supposed to feel like a relaxing boat ride. All that being said, it is impressive how fast they can play and still be so expressive.

[@bartjebartmans]

@@lindenpeters2601 Well get to work. Perform it the way you want it. Can't wait.

[@toothlesstoe]

Or maybe find an interpretation you like instead?

[@toothlesstoe]

@@lindenpeters2601 If the pianists in question were satisfied with their interpretation, then that is all that matters

[@pianopolly]

Very beautiful interpretation. However, I believe the rhythm in bar 92 of the "En bateau" (2nd piano) is not meant as three notes of equal length. This took me out of the otherwise brilliantly played piece, unfortunately.

[@bartjebartmans]

You must not be able to listen to live performances with its inevitable mistakes. I never listen for mistakes only for content. If there is little or no content, yes then any mistake becomes big. This performance has plenty of content.

[@romanjaviergiordano]

What makes you say that?

[@ozayoktay1613]

We call it “sfumatura non-tempo”, actually something pretty special. It’s wonderful that the player advanced the nuance like that. Debussy is one of the most reformist composer and as an impressionist, even he would love it if he heard it. Everybody may comment but no one should criticize without knowledge. - or without being able to feel music -

[@ZongwenFeng]

+pianopolly How would you know that?! Have you ever tried playing this piece?! Are you Debussy? Did you write this piece? No! Each pianist has their own way of playing this song. Yes, we did play this piece. And, it took a long time to get it down. So, please stop acting like an "expert."

[@benafeng6629]

I totally agree with you Zongwen Feng. It's a coincidence that we have the same last name.

[@user-ph3sg3ih5i]

엘뮤 모여라

[@victorh.soares9932]

i hate so much the piano version of petit suite, orchestra arrangement sounds better