Great Composers: Claude Debussy

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A look at an impressionist ... who didn't like being called one.
This was a viewer request from KZbinr Jessica Neises. If you've got a question or request for a future video, leave a comment, shoot me a message through KZbin, or use the email/Tumblr links below.
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Classical Nerd is a weekly video series covering music history, theoretical concepts, and techniques, hosted by composer, pianist, and music history aficionado Thomas Little.
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Music:
- Claude Debussy: Suite Bergamasque, performed by Teppei Yamada-Scriba
[free recording courtesy pianosociety.com]
- Thomas Little: Dance! #2 in E minor, Op. 1 No. 2, performed by Rachel Fellows, Michael King, and Bruce Tippette
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Contact Information:
Questions and comments can be directed to:
nerdofclassical [at] gmail.com
Tumblr:
classical-nerd.tumblr.com
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All images and audio in this video are for educational purposes only and are not intended as copyright infringement. If you have a copyright concern, please contact me using the above information.

[@jeffwatkins352]

Nice overview of a favorite composer. Just one detail: Debussy actually completed a second opera, which was actually his first, Rodrigue et Chimène, based on the El Cid story. While he completed its piano sketch, he abandoned it before orchestration because he was disillusioned with the Catulle Mendez libretto. Oh, and another note: his daughter's nickname (pronounced Shoo Shoo) might be roughly translated as "Little Cabbage."

[@KeithMakank3]

Thank you for existing, i didn't know one could explain what these composers do.

[@arthurargalis6805]

I Would love to see a video about Satie

[@ClassicalNerd]

You're in luck-Satie was requested a good while back and is slated for production in mid-November.

[@anthonyonfire]

Thanks for another great video Classical nerd! Cheers

[@georgealderson4424]

As always a fascinating video (and facial hair) sir. It seems to me that CD is yet another composer known by only a few of his pieces. I recently discovered the brilliant Rachmaninoff 1st symphony and learned the near tragic history connected with it because of Caesar Cui and his colleagues. Thank you for your hard work in researching these films. Blessings and peace

[@Musicandcatsmeow]

So great Debussy discovered The Gamelan and opened his eyes for what’s to come💕 thank you again for all of the great videos, wonderful resources and you include humor too! I think I passed my finals on 20th century music ~avant- grade because of you

[@nicholasbains5109]

I love your channel man! keep up the awesome work.

[@georgeattisano1081]

Thanks for posting these great videos. I’m prepping for a music history placement test for a graduate music program and your vids are very informative.

[@TheTruth7695]

came here for the history, stayed for the personality woo love this channel

[@fasteddy9]

That was fascinating, thanks !

[@retromograph3893]

Great stuff, enjoyed this!

[@enrique203909]

thanks for the value!

[@antoineminiconi4943]

Great vid!

[@kalelake3067]

Thank you very good; and you really said a lot..

[@ChipsAplentyBand]

"No good, home-wrecking scumball…"-Yup, Thomas, you've got the makings of a musicologist in you. :-)

[@deb5710]

Very informative. Would be nice if you provided samples of Debussy's work when discussing his different styles. Remember, music is about listening as well as talking about styles, and some viewers lack the knowledge that you possess. Love Debussy's music!

[@ClassicalNerd]

I do that when I can (see recent episodes) but copyright is often very much an issue, sadly.

[@nickschuyler]

Loved finding this - why no de Bussy on your B Audio channel as background tone and means of informing the listener? Stll... thanks for the work!

[@ClassicalNerd]

The background music isn't just Debussy, it's Debussy's most famous piano suite.

[@nickschuyler]

@@ClassicalNerd I wanted to hear more while you spoke; however, you got me listening to "La Mer", so...Mission Accomplished. Keep p[sting. Totally entertained.

[@max-tf3vo]

The beard tho..

[@ClassicalNerd]

Quarantine will have me at this point again very soon.

[@Desiklown]

So great! I’how would great pianist approach their practice

[@robertmicelli2946]

Dude, the beard.......the mustache......i'm.....speechless

[@kasperchristensen8416]

1:49 _So, piano music itself was just a cakewalk._ A Golliwogg cakewalk, more specifically :P

[@raminagrobis6112]

Very well done, sir. And the more so, since you're talking about some of my preferred composers: Debussy, Satie, etc. I have yet to explore your previous videos. Based on intuition, I'm expecting to hear from other beloved French composers such Messiaen, Fauré (Gabriel), and, why not, Ravel (although I have never been a great fan - the Bolero being, hands down, the most overrated piece of music, overhyped to death among the general public in all media). While we're at it, would it be your thing to dwelve into older periods and do bits about a few undeservedly less well known composers such as Charpentier (whose sacred music stands among the very best, even overshadowing Monteverdi's), the Rameau family, or even Lully (who, despite being Italian, became famous entirely for work funded by the Kingdom of France) ? Thanks. Looking forward to watch more of your excellent posts.

[@ClassicalNerd]

Thank you for your kind words! I will warn you that, the further back you go, the depth of research decreases and the production quality slips-to the point that I want to completely overhaul many of the bigger names that I covered at the outset of this channel. Ravel has a lot more to offer than the _Bolero,_ which is a masterclass in orchestration but contains little else (and Ravel himself was baffled that it got famous, as he thought that it "contained no music.") _Le Tombeau de Couperin_ and the _Trois poèmes de Mallarmé_ are two highlights for me, as are the two Piano Concerti. Obviously, it's still fine if you just don't have a particular taste for his work; I just hope that you're not judging Ravel on his least structurally, melodically, and harmonically inventive piece. Charpentier, Rameau, and Lully have been added to the request pool at lentovivace.com/classicalnerd.html

[@musicamasmusica]

great work !! thanks

[@SlyHikari03]

arabesque 1 is my favorite piece, it’s so nice.

[@TheMikkis100]

Debussy is one of my favourite composers along Sibelius. Maybe a video about him?

[@ClassicalNerd]

Sibelius has been appended to the request queue [ lentovivace.com/requestqueue.html ]. Given the requests already submitted, it'd be in early April of next year.

[@TheMikkis100]

thanks!

[@ShorkGamer]

I know you list is gigantic, but one very forgotten great composer is also: Havergal Brian His first Symphony is HUGE! Its almost 2 hours long; and he wrote 31 (!!) Symphonies after it! Btw. can you add the books you read for each composer in the describtion? That would really help so one could also read it.

[@ClassicalNerd]

Havergal Brian has been thusly appended to the request queue. What amazes me about him is just ... how _much_ he was able to do in the last few years of his creative life. Unimaginable creativity on a sheer scale unseen since Mozart or Czerny. My research process for each composer is different; a lot of information comes from my personal library if I have a book on the subject, but plenty also comes from online sources which include masters' theses and doctoral dissertations. For this, the one book I consulted was my copy of Paul Roberts' _Claude Debussy_ [books.google.com/books/about/Claude_Debussy_20th_Century_Composers.html?id=CtIYAQAAIAAJ&source=kp_cover].

[@joshuarosenbaum9360]

Havergal Brian is unfortunately one of those composers who never grabbed me. One of my least favorite British composers (not that I’m a big fan of British music in general as I always have preferred the French, Russians, and Czechs).

[@nathanmills9298]

I wish he could’ve moved to Texas and learn a little ragtime and boogie woogie. Could you imagine a Dubussy boogie? That would be awesome

[@starduststereo]

Sounds like a good AI prompt

[@charlesdavis7087]

You always do such a wonderful job. Hope you're getting paid to teach these kind of things.

[@ClassicalNerd]

I'm currently teaching a section of a theory lab at my school-but for these videos, the only money I get (in addition to the small ad revenue) is through www.patreon.com/classicalnerd

[@charlesdavis7087]

@@ClassicalNerd These little lectures should be mandatory in high schools and college (Music History 101, etc.). They are a lot like those books we call... History or Math for Dummies. There has to be a market for them. These are jewels.

[@ericrakestraw664]

Could you do a video about the 2nd Viennese School of Schoenberg, Berg, and Webern?

[@ClassicalNerd]

Schoenberg is already in the queue and is expected to be released in mid-January. The others will be added to the request queue posthaste.

[@pupilmover9835]

I love Debbi C

[@Pier-wy6dd]

Do not worry about "Lilly", it sounds very peculiar. I guess (I am not sure), it is of Basque origin, as «etxe» [ɛt͡ʃe] means "house" in Basque language.

[@Scriabinfan593]

Debussy is my favorite composer of all time.

[@Polygor2]

Same here, although Ravel is a close second

[@lordofwaffles222]

Could you make a video about Henri Dutilleux?

[@ClassicalNerd]

Dutilleux is now in the request pool.

[@Musicandcatsmeow]

Love Debussy 🌹

[@charliehaffke2051]

Can you do the residents

[@aayyiss]

can you do a video on poulenc

[@ClassicalNerd]

Poulenc has been added to the request pool.

[@aayyiss]

thanks

[@Flatscores]

WHOLE generation? I think Debussy has inspired every generation until today. ;)

[@rocconorth]

Are you planning on covering Liszt sometime? He fits the criteria.

[@ClassicalNerd]

I had an old video on Liszt which I eventually took down because I focused way too much on his life and not enough on his music. I'll be remaking several older videos this year, and Liszt's on the list (no pun intended).

[@scribblertheband]

Looking grizzly af dude !

[@Anonymous-re9fd]

It's not "chew chew" it's "shu shu". Great video tho! Thanks

[@BeauJames59]

Claude Debussy Fields would be my glam rock name................

[@wp6007]

REALLY glad you shaved.

[@ClassicalNerd]

You sound like my mom.

[@wp6007]

@@ClassicalNerd :)

[@directcurrent5751]

Debussy is meaningful avant garde.

[@andreibaradayenka2016]

11:21 I guess you could say he was a big fan of De BUSSY!!! *I'm so sorry*

[@mongonius]

Great work. Thanks! Wow. A neck beard!

[@redvine1105]

1:50 I see what you did there

[@artlm2002]

good content, but the constant framing switch (like having a conversation with yourself) is distracting.

[@ClassicalNerd]

If jump cuts are distracting, then there's a wide swath of KZbin that'll bother you.

[@nicholasoberling6653]

Debussy disliked the impressionist painters, preferring Whistler and Velasquez among others

[@akrossmann1631]

Sigh...sometimes it is better not to know of an artist's personal life. Rather it seems best to simply enjoy the art.

[@charliemcgrain]

Would have been really great if you had actually played some music to illucidate your points. But thanks.

[@ClassicalNerd]

Copyright is always a concern. A good portion of the time, when I do include examples, it gets falsely flagged as a copyright violation.

[@charliemcgrain]

@@ClassicalNerd I understand completely. Perhaps invite a piano player, or if you play your self, to give examples. Really great content, just so missing context without the music.

[@ClassicalNerd]

@@charliemcgrain You would be surprised how sensitive the system can be. I have uploaded my own compositions and sometimes they are flagged as being Chopin excerpts despite sounding nothing like Chopin.

[@joshuarosenbaum9360]

I have found most of your videos in this ‘Great Composers’ series to be quite boring, Classical Nerd. The reason I’m giving you this criticism is because looking at your face for the entire duration of the video is NOT interesting nor is it entertaining. There are no graphics used and, essentially, the information you give is something I can learn, and have learned, on my own. Just my two measly cents.

[@ClassicalNerd]

I'm sorry you think that, but I will console myself with the fact that your opinion is not the prevailing one.

[@joshuarosenbaum9360]

It’s your channel of course and you’ll continue to do what you want. I was merely offering a suggestion.

[@kaiyuen7883]

Joshua Rosenbaum I've been watching these for my music history course and they have been really helpful to me! It provides some diversity in my studying instead of reading all the time, and because there are no graphics I can rest my eyes and just listen for a bit. Just my measly two cents

[@stuartslater198]

A very balanced critique

[@sorrychangedmyusername3594]

I agree, I feel like watching a long podcast.