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Topic: impressionist music  (Read 7221 times)

Offline BoliverAllmon

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impressionist music
on: December 24, 2003, 06:17:14 PM
I got back from an art exhibit today. I was looking at Monet's Water Lilies when the headset audio asked if I wanted to listen to some Impressionist music while looking at the painting. I said sure and some of the most fluid musical piano started playing. I was wondering what would you consider impressionist music? who would be the composers? what are some good pieces to listen to?

boliver
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Offline eddie92099

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Re: impressionist music
Reply #1 on: December 24, 2003, 06:47:42 PM
Debussy, Debussy, and a bit more Debussy,
Ed
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Offline schnabels_grandson

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Re: impressionist music
Reply #2 on: December 25, 2003, 12:39:55 AM
Don't forget Ravel and Satie.
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Offline bernhard

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Re: impressionist music
Reply #3 on: December 25, 2003, 03:08:03 AM
Add to that Delius, Dukas, Ibert, Severac.
Bax, Respighi, Ciryl Scott and Falla also show some inclination towards impressionism.
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Offline chopiabin

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Re: impressionist music
Reply #4 on: December 25, 2003, 07:35:29 AM
I hope I'm not offending anyone here, but am I the only one who finds Debussy sickeningly sweet? His constant pianissimo pastel sound just makes me ill. I like other impressionist music - Ravel, Satie - but Debussy kills me. I always try to go back and give it another listen, but, like a child who never learns his lesson, I regret it every time.

Chop  
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Offline eddie92099

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Re: impressionist music
Reply #5 on: December 25, 2003, 10:40:29 AM
Try listening to the Debussy 'cello sonata (not for an impressionist piece, but to get yourself back to Debussy),
Ed
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Offline Noah

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Re: impressionist music
Reply #6 on: December 25, 2003, 01:31:45 PM
Quote
I hope I'm not offending anyone here, but am I the only one who finds Debussy sickeningly sweet? His constant pianissimo pastel sound just makes me ill. I like other impressionist music - Ravel, Satie - but Debussy kills me. I always try to go back and give it another listen, but, like a child who never learns his lesson, I regret it every time.

Chop  


I have the same feeling as you with some of his music (piano trio, some preludes). However some of his works are masterpieces, like the violin sonata, the cello sonata, the images, estampes,...
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Offline chopiabin

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Re: impressionist music
Reply #7 on: December 25, 2003, 06:13:57 PM
Then I should definitely check those out. I bought a collection of preludes and the Suite Bergamasque, so  maybe I will try these more substantial pieces.

Chop
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Offline dinosaurtales

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Re: impressionist music
Reply #8 on: December 25, 2003, 11:03:48 PM
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Debussy, Debussy, and a bit more Debussy,
Ed



But only if you already haven't had enough of ..... Debussy.
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Offline dinosaurtales

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Re: impressionist music
Reply #9 on: December 25, 2003, 11:07:02 PM
Boy, I'm with you guys on the Debussy thing.  A little goes a long way with me, too.  It's not like it's miserable, but listening to one piece, I'll think *Oh that was kind of nice* and then they'll start playing another, and I'll think, *oh no.  Not another one!*  It gets old fast with me.

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Offline schnabels_grandson

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Re: impressionist music
Reply #10 on: December 26, 2003, 12:31:19 AM
I also agree that Debussy is hard to stomach in large quantities.  Has anyone heard the Heifetz Beau Soir arrangement for Violin and Piano?  It's wonderful.
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Offline chopiabin

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Re: impressionist music
Reply #11 on: December 28, 2003, 08:00:52 PM
I bought the Horowitz 13 CD box set and it included L'isle joyeuse, which I did enjoy. Sort of like Scriabin with more fluff.

Chop
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Offline eddie92099

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Re: impressionist music
Reply #12 on: December 29, 2003, 06:22:10 AM
That is certainly one of Debussy's better pieces,
Ed
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Offline BoliverAllmon

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Re: impressionist music
Reply #13 on: December 29, 2003, 10:04:57 AM
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I bought the Horowitz 13 CD box set and it included L'isle joyeuse, which I did enjoy. Sort of like Scriabin with more fluff.

Chop


Wow that is alot of Horowitz. Where did you get the cd's?

boliver
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Offline thracozaag

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Re: impressionist music
Reply #14 on: December 29, 2003, 05:13:40 PM
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Add to that Delius, Dukas, Ibert, Severac.
Bax, Respighi, Ciryl Scott and Falla also show some inclination towards impressionism.



 And Griffes.
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Offline erak

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Re: impressionist music
Reply #15 on: December 30, 2003, 11:48:22 PM
L'isle Joyeuse is my favourite Debussy piece, especially Horowitz' recording. I haven't heard another recording that put so much 'joy' in it. :)
Can't get enough of Debussy. I've heard some people say that Clair de Lune is awful, what's so awful about it?
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Offline eddie92099

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Re: impressionist music
Reply #16 on: December 31, 2003, 03:34:39 AM
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L'isle Joyeuse is my favourite Debussy piece, especially Horowitz' recording. I haven't heard another recording that put so much 'joy' in it. :)


Very true,
Ed
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Offline ravel

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Re: impressionist music
Reply #17 on: January 01, 2004, 02:49:30 AM
on the contrary, debussy is a composer , who can be different in every piece ( even thought u can sense a general style , but that u can do for any other composer),
probably the favourite of my favourites, debussy, i can never get tired of his music, not in my lifetime atleast haha,
and then ravel, i place him equal to debussy,
i think , both had something different to say about impressionism,  just like monet and pissaro or manet , were different.
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Offline eddie92099

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Re: impressionist music
Reply #18 on: January 01, 2004, 11:16:54 AM
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and then ravel, i place him equal to debussy,


I place him above Debussy,
Ed
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Offline dinosaurtales

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Re: impressionist music
Reply #19 on: January 01, 2004, 10:09:54 PM
Me, too.
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Offline pianomaestro88

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Re: impressionist music
Reply #20 on: January 02, 2004, 04:50:10 AM
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Debussy, Debussy, and a bit more Debussy,
Ed


Be careful what you say about Debussy. Granted he was highly impressionistic by the definition, et cetera, he always thought of himself as innovative and highly loathed impressionists.
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Chitch

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Re: impressionist music
Reply #21 on: January 02, 2004, 05:30:51 AM
Quote
I hope I'm not offending anyone here, but am I the only one who finds Debussy sickeningly sweet? His constant pianissimo pastel sound just makes me ill. I like other impressionist music - Ravel, Satie - but Debussy kills me. I always try to go back and give it another listen, but, like a child who never learns his lesson, I regret it every time.

Chop  

You sir, are a genious.
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Offline eddie92099

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Re: impressionist music
Reply #22 on: January 02, 2004, 01:14:48 PM
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You sir, are a genious.


And you sir, are not a genious genius,
Ed
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Offline ravel

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Re: impressionist music
Reply #23 on: January 05, 2004, 06:03:28 PM
comparisons between the two   ( debussy and ravel)
is hard ,
ravel did come up with the  "new piano technique " before debussy with his jeux d eau, but then i wouldnt place him above debussy for that.  
on the contrary to what people think, that they have similar styles, i think their styles differ a lot .
 " debussy is the shimmer, ravel is the sparkle " as i read some where, and i think this line describes fairly well the difference in their styles.
On what basis would u exactly compare them ?  ( just that both were impressionists, but they really werent, debussy , u know, hated being called that, and ravels approach to impressionism was much more casual, he kept on shifting between impressionism and neo classicalism  )
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Offline trunks

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Re: impressionist music
Reply #24 on: April 04, 2004, 01:09:29 AM
Debussy is the Chopin, Chopin is the Couperin;
Ravel is the Liszt, Liszt is the Rameau.

But Impressionistic music did not begin from Debussy. It begun from Liszt. Hey the Annees de pelerinage III, "un bord d'une source" from Annees II, "vision" and "chasse neige" from the Transcendental Etudes, and many of his later pieces . . .
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Offline faulty_damper

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Re: impressionist music
Reply #25 on: April 06, 2004, 11:39:27 AM
Debussy's music is too monotonous.  Listening to his more soft pieces will bore you... to sleep.  Or keep you asleep which is what it did when my alarm clock started up playing the Debussy preludes CD!   >:(  It was supposed to play the Alkan with the Symphony!

But what's great about Debussy is that you have to imagine what his music is representing and titles really help.  If you don't imagine it, you won't enjoy as much.
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Offline comme_le_vent

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Re: impressionist music
Reply #26 on: April 06, 2004, 04:38:44 PM
'It was supposed to play the Alkan with the Symphony!'

good choice!
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Offline volcanoadam

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Re: impressionist music
Reply #27 on: July 17, 2020, 07:36:41 PM
Interesting discussion about Debussy. To me it's the most picturesque music I've heard, especially Images and Preludes in Claudio Arrau's interpretation. I like listening to that in the dark room at night on the headphones. I just start it on and immediately the music brings the most beautiful images in front of my eyes. I love that and I'm never bored of Debussy.
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