The Sunken Cathedral

[ptyrrell]

Hi,

I am a bit confused on how to pedal the middle section of The Sunken Cathedral bar 28-39, I have heard that the middle pedal is depressed on a grand, however I am practicing on an upright.  I have also heard about 1/2 pedalling applied on an upright, but not sure on this

Any help would be greatly appreciated

cheers

[kitty on the keys]

ptyrrell....such a great piece to learn and play!  There are 2 schools of thought on the pedal in Debussy. Since it is stated that Debussy did not have the middle pedal, you should not use it. What it comes down to is is LISTENING.  If you can play this piece on a grand...try  the middle pedal...and listen. As in the Rachmaniniff C# minor prelude, do you use the sostenuto for the low tied notes or half pedal? I would also develop your pedal technique too.....half pedaling is used in many pieces and comes in handy. So you must experiment and listen as you play....good luck and have fun!

Kitty on the Keys

[prongated]

It is indeed as you say re: middle pedal.

Half-pedalling is a universal pedal technique, and not just for pianos lacking the middle pedal. It is used to maintain the bass line as much as possible, without cluttering the upper register with unnecessary resonance. The result in the Debussy is, you get a cleaner change of harmony while still preserving the bass (C octave) for as long as possible. So change pedal every chord, but lift it halfway up, not all the way. (Or to be more specific, lift it only up to a point where the upper register starts to get dampened, before depressing it again - it's usually around halfway anyway...use your ears as judge!)