Review (PDF) Images: The Piano Music Of Claude Debussy
Paris at the turn of the 20th century was obsessed with the interrelations of the arts. It was a time when artists and writers spoke of poetry as music, sounds as colors, and paintings as symphonies. The music of Claude Debussy, with its unique textures and dazzling colors, was the perfect counterpart to the bold new styles of painting in France. Paul Roberts probes the sources of Debussy's artistic inspiration, relating the "impressionist" titles to the artistic and literary ferment of the time. He also draws on his own performing experience to touch on all the principal technical problems for a performer of Debussy's piano music. His many suggestions about interpreting the music will be particularly valuable to performers as well as listeners.
Paperback: 372 pages
Publisher: Amadeus Press (March 1, 2003)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1574670689
ISBN-13: 978-1574670684
Product Dimensions: 6 x 1 x 9 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #308,560 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #14 in Books > Humor & Entertainment > Sheet Music & Scores > Composers > Debussy #83 in Books > Arts & Photography > Music > Biographies > Classical #121 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Arts & Literature > Theatre
I would be able to write a more erudite review of this book if I had my copy beside me, citing examples of wonderful writing, interesting anecdotes and illuminating images. Unfortunately, I loaned it to my piano teacher, and she won't give it back! She has fallen in love with it. I think I may have to give her a copy as a gift if I ever want to see my copy again. Paul Roberts was here in Portland last June for the first Piano Festival Northwest. He gave a lecture, a master class and a piano recital. His abilities in all three areas are distilled into this book. He has studied Debussy and the cultural "stew" of Paris during Debussy's life. He has studied Debussy's piano works and performs them sensitively. And finally he can explain all of this in a most entertaining manner, in person and in his writing. The book is not easy to read in a summertime-beachy way, but it is certainly not academic or pedantic. It is lively but thorough, engaging and thought provoking. It also contains many examples and musical excerpts which can be studied with a view toward performance of the pieces. As an amatuer pianist, I can appreciate these sections without being able to perform the works, and my teacher takes the examples as points of departure or new interpretive ideas for works which she has performed in the past, but can now see in new ways. Of course, if you've never heard of Debussy, I suppose you might have no use for this book. Otherwise, buy it. (I have no connection, family or business, with Paul Roberts.)
Images: The Piano Music Of Claude Debussy Paul Roberts (professor of piano, Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London) is a meaningful, superbly presented, in-depth analysis of the French piano music of artist and visionary Claude Debussy. Chapters focus in depth upon Debussy's individual songs and go into minute, deconstructive and comparative analysis, observing common threads in Debussy's work and that of other masters such as Chopin. A scholarly book deftly written at the college-graduate level, Images is highly recommended as the perfect companion book for a true connoisseur of Debussy's music. Two music CD's of Debussy's work, performed by Images author Paul Roberts, are intended as companions to Images but are sold separately.
This is one of the best books on Debussy's piano music that I've found. I have a doctorate in piano and have several books on Debussy but this is one of the best.
Fine
Images: The Piano Music of Claude Debussy Claude Debussy Piano Music 1888-1905 (Dover Music for Piano) Claude Debussy: Piano Music (1888-1905) The Piano Works of Claude Debussy (Dover Books on Music) Debussy: Images - Books 1 and 2 for Solo Piano (L.110 & L. 111) (Samwise Music For Piano II) (Volume 13) Songs of Claude Debussy, Vol. 1: High Voice- The Vocal Library (Schirmer's Library of Musical Classics) Songs of Claude Debussy - Volume II: The Vocal Library (Schirmer's Library of Musical Classics) Great Piano Etudes: Masterpieces by Chopin, Scriabin, Debussy, Rachmaninoff and Others (Dover Music for Piano) Debussy: Complete Estampes for the Piano L. 100 (Samwise Music For Piano II) (Volume 8) Great Piano Adagios: 60 Works from Bach to Debussy (Dover Music for Piano) Debussy: Intermediate to Advanced Piano Masterpieces (Sheet Music for Piano) Debussy: Children's Corner for Piano Solo L. 113 (Samwise Music For Piano II) (Volume 14) Debussy: Berceuse Heroique - Piano Solo L. 132 (Samwise Music For Piano II) (Volume 4) Images: Books I and II for Solo Piano (Dover Music for Piano) (Bks. 1 and 2) Complete Piano Transcriptions from Wagner's Operas (Dover Music for Piano) by Liszt, Franz, Classical Piano Sheet Music (1981) Paperback Debussy -- An Introduction to His Piano Music: Book & CD (Alfred Masterwork CD Edition) Cello Music by French Composers from Couperin to Debussy for Violoncello and Piano The Art of French Piano Music: Debussy, Ravel, Faure, Chabrier Debussy -- An Introduction to His Piano Music (Alfred Masterwork Edition) Debussy: Suite Bergamasque Pour Le Piano (Music Scores)
