Golliwog's Cakewalk

[mknueven]

Does anyone have some music history knowledge
of the politics involved in Golliwog's Cakewalk?
I understand that when it slows down - it's a musical excerpt
from Wagner - and Debussy is musically laughing at Wagner.

Does anyone have additional knowledge on this subject?
thanks~

[gerryjay]

 hey mk!
 i would not take this much further. the quotation is from tristan, a work with which debussy had an intense relationship from his early years to pelleas (and probably beyond). there is one comment by him of the mid-90´s that is interesting to this point: "what anyone can do beyond tristan". in the other hand, in the same period he consider writing an article named "the futility of wagnerism" (what he never did actually). the conflict is obvious and one can easily understand: a bitter-ending deep admiration.
 about this particular example (cakewalk), i think he was only joking. this suite is so light-hearted in its intentions that i doubt he would include something more harsh or profound than a fine irony. notice that i don´t know any document by debussy about this particular, but this work was concluded in 1908, and his so-called political engagement (musicien français, etc) was related to the WWI, that only begun some years after that.

[mknueven]

Thanks Gerryjay!
I agree that it's pretty light-hearted - and it's nice to have a little background on this.
Thanks again!

[gerryjay]

 you´re welcome, mk!