Claude Debussy

French composer whose whole-tone colors and parallel harmonies founded musical Impressionism.

Core Principles & Analysis

• Clair de lune, from the Suite bergamasque, is among the most performed piano pieces ever written.
• Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune (1894) is often cited as the beginning of modern music.
• Drew on whole-tone and pentatonic scales after hearing Javanese gamelan at the 1889 Paris Exposition.

Specifications & Metrics

• ERA: 1862 – 1918