Claude Debussy
La fille aux cheveux de lin
No. 8 from Preludes Book I
Here Debussy depicts a sweet, innocent — possibly slightly sad — girl, using some of his harmonic trademarks, like 9th and 11th chords, pentatonic scales, and parallel voice leading.
Year: 1908
Period: Impressionism
Piano score: PS Urtext 
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The Girl with the Flaxen Hair
This piece is among Debussy’s simplest creations, but it’s had the most lasting impression of any of his piano works. There have been a great many arrangements, including for strings, harp, wind quintet, orchestra, jazz band, and even a version for bluegrass fiddle. The piece’s distinctive sound comes from its use of plagal cadences instead of dominant cadences and the pentatonic scale, both of which lend a folksy air to the tune. The eponymous girl explores a hill in Scotland, and this is a tactic Debussy uses over and over: painting a musical portrait of a foreign place.Background
The title La fille aux cheveux de lin was inspired by Leconte de Lisle's poem by the same name, one of his Chansons écossaises (Scottish songs) from his 1852 collection Poèmes antiques (Ancient Poems). Debussy had used the title before, for a song he wrote very early in his career, in 1882, which however doesn't show any particular similarities to the prelude.Forum posts about this piece:
Sound control by rtheunissen
Dear all, Recently I've come across a problem in my playing, a lot of the time it's mostly up to chance (and the temperature in the room) how loudly a note will play. I understand that this...
Properly learning pieces without guidance by rtheunissen
Dear people, Because it is summer break right now, I don't have weekly piano lessons. They stopped about a month ago, and in a few weeks, I'm going to start my first year of conservatory....
Difficulty of "La Cathédrale Engloutie" by rtheunissen
Dear people, Does anyone have experience with this tenth prelude by Debussy? To me, it doesn't seem to be that difficult. However, RCM does rate it as an ARCT level which makes me wonder what the...
Recording of La fille aux cheveux de lin by clarinetist
Hi, I'm Mr. [url=www.pianostreet.com/smf/index.php?topic=62173.0]"are scales really useful?"[/url] Here's a recording of La fille aux cheveux de lin I made today. I suck at...
Debussy - La fille aux cheveux de lin by quantum
Bar 14, 33-34. Do you see any advantage of playing the top staff lower voice with the RH, as opposed to playing three lower voices with the LH? I find if I do it produces more legato tone....
Please help with Debussy's Flaxen Hair by leucippus
I've decided to start learning Debussy's prelude # 8 from his book I. I guess this is more popularly known as "La fille aux cheveux de lin" or "The girl with flaxen...
Debussy by betricia
La Fille aux cheveux Lin - I have probably spelt this incorrectly. I love the music but am finding it difficult to learn and it has taken me 2 weeks to know the first 12 bars. I work full time...
question on" la fille aux cheveux de lin" by mark1
I was looking over the sheet music and found a chord in the 6th bar that I couldn't play...the span is too much for my hands(unless I use my nose) :)!How should I play this part? A recording of mine plays the...
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Prelude - La fille aux cheveux de lin Book 1 No. 8, by the impressionism composer Claude Debussy. This piano piece was initially published in the year 1908 and is included in Preludes by Debussy.