Hellenistic Detachment

[kellentia]

Hi! Debussy is said to have used this style/technique called the 'hellenistic detachment' in his Children's Corner Suite. Can someone please explain to me this term? Like what is characteristic of it? is it a type of or a method of playing detached notes? I can't seem to find information or any defination of this style. Thanks so much!

[Mozartian]

"Hellenistic" is usually defined as meaning "relating to or characteristic of the classical Greek civilization." So I would opine that this "hellenistic detachment" would refer to maybe a stoic style or prehaps a style in which he tried to capture the attitude of an onlooker in his compositional methods for this work, rather than to any technical issue. Just my guess, though!

[prometheus]

Yes, Hellas is Greece.


I always thought it referred to Helen (of Troy, bit strange since the story tells she is from Sparta and abducted by Troy, though there seems to be some Stockholm syndrome in there, or just Aprodite's divine magic). But that has nothing to do with it. I found it a bit strange, but it was the only connection I saw.

[Mozartian]

Yes, Hellas is Greece.


I always thought it referred to Helen (of Troy[etc.])

Heh. That would be "helenistic", not "hellenistic". Hellenistic comes from the Greek word Héll?n, which means Greek.

</word nerd>