THE PORTRAYAL OF WATER AND WAVE PATTERNS IN THE MUSIC OF CLAUDE DEBUSSY

My thesis considers the shaping of Debussy’s aesthetic, the musical language he uses within an oeuvre that centres on the role of Nature as imaginative stimulus, and its particular relevance to his Water pieces within which I determine wave patterns. An examination of his piano and orchestral pieces, with particular reference to L’isle joyeuse, ‘Reflets dans l’eau’ from Images I and La mer reveals these wave patterns on every level of composition. Debussy’s use of modes to produce ‘floating’ harmonies that more easily suggest sliding curves and multiple lines above an equilibrium of water/key, together with his treatment of ‘rhythmicised time’ to evoke fluidity and the metamorphosis of spatial awareness, aid a perception of waves and liquidity within his Water music. This flowing organicism is supported by ternary-type forms when discernible (in an otherwise ‘open’ structure), and meticulous attention to musical instructions, particularly in the use of specific dynamic waves of sound, which repeatedly swell and contract. These elements contributed to the appearance of an improvisatory style that assisted the performer in the realization of Debussy’s conception for a ‘free’ music, so that the listener in turn recognizes audible waves of sound. All of these aspects are supported by the composer’s visual acuity, in the configuration and alignment of his notes and symbols on the written page, (which I have demonstrated on the relevant scores). Whether cognitively or intuitively based, they produce wave-like patterns that assist the spontaneity of Debussy’s intentions for his music, traversing bar-lines and enabling the composer to truly communicate his feelings. These pitch contours and innovative use of musical language act as signifiers for new correspondences between Debussy’s Water compositions and his twenty-first century followers, extending our knowledge of his genre.

Level dc:type.qualificationlevel

masters

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

University of East Anglia

Year dc:date.issued

2011

Author dc:creator

• Ashworth, Amanda Pauline

Language dc:language

en