i agree it sounds better...
BUT...
Why the use of the dotted halfnote (minim) in the beginning ?
Why Debussy puts that note there? Why not a Quarter note (crotchet) ?
Academically speaking : "Play or not play" ?
cheers.
I'm not an expert, but I think that the half note means that the G flat should be continued, prolongued, that's why we use pedal very much in this music (at least, I do... '-'). But, how there's a second G flat (the note in the circle) I think we should play the G flat once again, even though there's a half note before. But I'm not expert and I may be wrong.
But imo, the half note is there just meaning that we should play those arpeggios very prolongued and in sostenuto maybe?, but it doesn't mean that the second G flat mustn't be played. That's what I think, but I may be wrong...