Piano Forum

Wow, thanx a lot Bernard - that really helped a lot! Now I can put some meaning into the piece... I was immensely frustrated by it, but now I'll try again.

It's actually tragic that his daughter died so young - isn't it?

You are welcome.

The complete story is even more poignant.

Debussy had a very complicated love life. He lived for many years with Gabrielle Lhery, a difficult relationship that at some point even had Gabrielle shooting herself (a suicide attempt she survived) on account of one of Debussy’s many infidelities. He never married here though, and in 1899 (he was still living with Gabrielle), he left her and married Rosalie Texier, a fashion model. It is generally thought that both women were very satisfying as bed partners, but intellectually his inferiors. And so it was that after five years of marriage, Debussy met Emma Bardac, then the wife of a banker. Beautiful, blonde and green eyed (just like his two previous loves), she was this time his intellectual equal. Debussy fell for her head over heels and they both eloped to Jersey, where he wrote “L’Isle Joyeuse”. Her husband did not worry too much (she had already had an affair with Fauré) saying: “She’s just treating herself to the latest fashion in composers. But I am the one with the money. She will be back.”

The whole affair became a scandal and hit the papers though. Rosalie (just as Gabrielle before ) shot herself (and just like Gabrielle, survived). As a consequence, Emma was disinherited, Debussy lost his friends (who thought his behaviour towards Rosalie was appalling), and Emma’s family cut her out on account of them living together openly (at the time a most shocking practice). It was at this point (1905) that Emma became pregnant, and they had a girl Claude-Emma (Chouchou), born on 30 October 1905.

Emma’s husband, meanwhile, accepted that she would not be back and granted her a divorce so that they could be married. After much litigation both with Emma’s husband and Rosalie, they finally got married in January 1908. The marriage again, made the tabloids, but it is generally thought that the scandal helped to promote Debussy’s career (he was always plagued by financial difficulties). In fact, maybe for the first time in his life he had found some domestic and financial stability (his opera Pelleas & Melisande had been a big success).

Yet, within all this context of personal and social difficulties, it is accepted that his main source of happiness was his daughter Chouchou, to whom he was a completely devoted father. She was to inspire most of the music he composed after 1908 (and not only Children’c Corner).

In 1909, he went to the doctor with a series of complaints, now believed to be the start of the cancer that would eventually kill him (and which was diagnosed with certainty in 1915) and his financial difficulties resumed.

1910 was the worst year so far. Not only his illness got worse, as his father died. His finances were the worst ever

Debussy died on 25 March 1918.  Soon afterwards, his daughter Chouchou died of diphtheria in 1919.

Best wishes,
Bernhard.