Was debussy gay?

[alwaystheangel]

I've noticed that on the vast majority of Debussy books/sheet music there is Monet's artwork, I mentioned this to someone and they said that was for two reasons:
1.  That Debussy and Monet were both impressionistic
2. They were lovers.
I thought Debussy had a wife and a few kids, but I guess that doen't stop anyone from having an affair. 
Is this information correct?

[thalbergmad]

After being on this forum for more than a year, it is becoming increasingly difficult to find a pianist or composer that was not gay.

[justliam]

I don't know about Debussy and Monet being lovers, but I have heard frequently (not just here) that Debussy was gay, although it's not that interesting anyway.  But yes Monet and Debussy are both Impressionistic (although Debussy didn't like the term.)  and plenty of Monets paintings fit quite well into Debussys work.  https://www.ptloma.edu/music/MUH/contemporary/Debussy_and_Monet/Debussy_and_Monet.htm

[canardroti]

I don't think he was,  Wasn't he in love with his  girl cousin?

[pianalex]

Neither debussy nor monet were gay, debussy's relationships with women were complex and intense, leaving his wife to attempt suicide with a gun after he left her, and scandalising many close friends and supporters.  Monets first wife died while relatively young and there is a famous painting he made of her on her death bed. He remarried quite soon afterwards. The use of Monet in relation to debussy is a lazy cliche and standard fall back for cd covers etc.,  Although debussy claimed to prefer the company of artists to that of fellow muscians I'm not sure that he ever met Monet.

[Tash]

i have never read that debussy and monet were lovers and can't say i really believe it because like pianoalex, i don't recall reading that they ever met. and debussy really should be related more with the poetic symbolist movement since half his compositions are based on their poetry. and all the freakin affairs he had, why would you bother if you were gay?

but then again it has become apparent that every person on the planet is gay, we're all just in denial

[justliam]

Yeh you are, come on boys, out of the closet you come. lol

[kelly_kelly]

After being on this forum for more than a year, it is becoming increasingly difficult to find a pianist or composer that was not gay.

Why would you need to find one? Does it really make a difference to us?

[justliam]

I think he was commenting on the numurous threads with lists that reel of gay composers like they were just naming the biggest composers.  Especially those with little evidence whether they either gay/straight.  I don't think he was making the statement that is hard to find a straight composer, or that he cared.

[pianorama]

Maybe he was bisexual?

[alwaystheangel]

So no one really seems to know... Although I think that The Monet and Debussy theory has been squashed.

[Barbosa-piano]

 I think it is hard to believe that he was gay... I have never heard anything that would lead me to think so, and I've always read articles that make me think his marriage was successful, and that he loved his family.

[thalbergmad]

I think he was commenting on the numurous threads with lists that reel of gay composers like they were just naming the biggest composers.  Especially those with little evidence whether they either gay/straight.  I don't think he was making the statement that is hard to find a straight composer, or that he cared.

Thanks

[pianalex]

So no one really seems to know...

They do-as i mentioned earlier Debussy was not gay....if you really want a sexual enigma you'd be better barking up Ravel's tree

[alwaystheangel]

thanks pianalex.   
point taken.

[justliam]

I disagree pianoalex,  no one knows if Debussy was gay or not, unless you happen to of known Debussy intimately, which would make you quite old and quite interesting lol, you can't say for sure.  Which is why it's rather dull discussing if any dead member of any society was gay or not.  As we all know gay people tend be more flamboyant and so would most likely right more delicate music, it's not a certainty, and we all know there are also plenty of straight men more feminine by quite a considerable measure than plenty of gay men are. So you whole point is rather mute when it comes to musicianship.

[pianalex]

I disagree pianoalex,  no one knows if Debussy was gay or not,

well on the existing evidence he was clearly had strong feelings for the opposite sex.  i have no particular stake in his orientation one way or the other, but i suppose we can allow that a composer's life may have an inherent interest that stands apart from their compositions, and we might as well analyse the known facts rationally:)
As far as I was aware we were'nt  discussing musicianship as  the original thread was whether debussy was gay and had had an affair with Monet -  unlike you perhaps, I dont think composers sex lives are necessarily a dull subject, but one which may be, and often are, treated in a dull way ::)alex

[pianalex]

thanks pianalex.   
point taken.

It's a pleasure, but see above thread for qualification!!

[justliam]

Well as a gay guy, who has seen every specturm of gay people imaginable.  Believe me, anything Debussy was likely to get upto in the bedroom is of little interest to anyone except those after titilation.  The point I was making, even if it is will documented he was straight, even if he was married, had kids and was happy, and on one ever thought he was gay, does not mean that he wasn't and so discussing is mute.  Discussing mute things is dull, thats all I meant. 

[alwaystheangel]

All I really wanted to know was if he was Monet's lover.  So I guess end of this thread?

[justliam]

Well you could googled that lol.  Threads are allowed to evolve into debates any nature, but I think it's ended all on it's own anyway.  But an end to your question definately, besides which, I can hardly an artist and a composer having a relationship last very long.  Ya know with the artistic temprament and all lol

[steve jones]

I've noticed that on the vast majority of Debussy books/sheet music there is Monet's artwork, I mentioned this to someone and they said that was for two reasons:
1.  That Debussy and Monet were both impressionistic
2. They were lovers.
I thought Debussy had a wife and a few kids, but I guess that doen't stop anyone from having an affair. 
Is this information correct?

Ofcourse he was. Have you see that tash?!

SJ

[justliam]

lmao. Brillient.  On one of the books I have, he's smoking one of those huge fat cigars, makes ya wonder

[steve jones]

You thought Debussy was bad?

SJ

[Tash]

Ofcourse he was. Have you see that tash?!

SJ

seen what?

[steve jones]

Haha, you almost had me then 

SJ

[Tash]

what?? i don't understand!!! i feel really slow right now...

[piazzo23]

who cares?

[steve jones]

what?? i don't understand!!! i feel really slow right now...

Sorry, I was refering to Debussy's tash (ie moustache), not your name. It is a very silly stereo type that gay men have big handle bar moustache's.

SJ

[justliam]

Well it's a stero-type nowadays, it was pretty much fact in the 70's  hehe.

[Tash]

Sorry, I was refering to Debussy's tash (ie moustache), not your name. It is a very silly stereo type that gay men have big handle bar moustache's.

SJ

oooooooh i've totally never heard that before haha i'm such a dill sometimes

[steve jones]

Well you know what they say about Magnum PI dont you? 

SJ

[Tash]

yes.....of course i do....*tries to conceal puzzled face*

[steve jones]

Lol, apologies for being so cryptic. I should explain that I have a homosexual cousin who constantly points 'things' out to me.

Apparently, the whole Magnum PI look was a big gay thing back in the day. Especially the tosh! God know what they would have made of Moszkowski?

SJ

[alzado]

I hope Debussy was not gay, because I will not play composers who were not morally pure.

Could someone print a list of all the composers in history who were NOT gay?

[justliam]

LMAO, Good luck finding a composer that was morally pure ya loon

[alwaystheangel]

Who on earth is morally pure? Like really other than Mother tereasa and the Dalai Llama, I can't think of anyone.

[bearzinthehood]

I hope Debussy was not gay, because I will not play composers who were not morally pure.

Could someone print a list of all the composers in history who were NOT gay?

Joke, right?   

[crazy for ivan moravec]

I hope Debussy was not gay, because I will not play composers who were not morally pure.

Could someone print a list of all the composers in history who were NOT gay?

gud luck.

[zheer]

Beethoven , Rachmaninoff, and Liszt were not gay . Infact Liszt and Rachmaninoff were family men.

    Rubenstine had many lady-friends, infact he was sexually active from about the age of 15.

[justliam]

  Sexually active from 15! Shock Horror, he's not morally pure either than, looks like your supply of composers is running short

[ronde_des_sylphes]

It's well known that Liszt's sexual morals were of the most impeccable standards..... hahaha

[thorn]

I hope Debussy was not gay, because I will not play composers who were not morally pure.

Could someone print a list of all the composers in history who were NOT gay?

Well... whether Debussy was gay or whatever, then you shouldn't play his music anymore... he was certainly not morally pure... he had affairs and left his first wife to remarry

[kriskicksass]

Composers are creative people. Creative people tend to be conceived as living on the outskirts of society. People on the outside of society are generally considered morally impure. Therefore, composers are morally impure people.

But if you really want some pure composers, go for Liszt, Tchaikovsky, Mussorgsky, and Chopin (only music written during his Sand years).

[zheer]

Sexually active from 15! Shock Horror, he's not morally pure either than, looks like your supply of composers is running short

  The pianist Arthur Rubenstine not the composer Anton Rubenstine. AaaaaaaaaannnnnneeeeeeeewwwwwwwwaY. What the hell does morally pure got to do with classical music.