Debussy's Use of the Whole Tone Scale - Composer Insights
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Date: 2022-03-28
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Comments and reviews: 10
John
Interesting comments but you could have said so much more to be honest:
Your videos talk about functional harmony - intervallic relationships; so why not mention it here - Here, you can-t have your trad ii-V-I cadence and that all important -semitone interval- between 7th and 8th notes is missing so the scale can never resolve as in the Major scale sense (eg. A -b- is pulled to the -c- n C May scale for instance).
And so how does Debussy achieve a sense of -home- or a feeling of something belonging to this piece?
The repeating Bb in the bass is a -pedal- note of course.
And why not at least warn the unwary listener that a new scale will appear in the middle of the piece (pentatonic) before this opening theme returns.
Please don-t get me wrong - i enjoyed the video but more please - thanks.
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Interesting comments but you could have said so much more to be honest:
Your videos talk about functional harmony - intervallic relationships; so why not mention it here - Here, you can-t have your trad ii-V-I cadence and that all important -semitone interval- between 7th and 8th notes is missing so the scale can never resolve as in the Major scale sense (eg. A -b- is pulled to the -c- n C May scale for instance).
And so how does Debussy achieve a sense of -home- or a feeling of something belonging to this piece?
The repeating Bb in the bass is a -pedal- note of course.
And why not at least warn the unwary listener that a new scale will appear in the middle of the piece (pentatonic) before this opening theme returns.
Please don-t get me wrong - i enjoyed the video but more please - thanks.
reply
Benjy
The whole tone scale works very well for such a style, and renders itself perfectly to the French language. French speakers get more results by asking for something indirectly than they do directly.
It is also interesting to note that in this composition and some of his other similar piano works, Debussy places the title at the very end of the piece. The reason may be is that he doesn't want to create a predefined image of what the title may infer according to the music that will follow. This too, is also indirect way of telling a story. The listener must allow his mind to -paint the picture- of what he hears, without giving the surprise away at the beginning.
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The whole tone scale works very well for such a style, and renders itself perfectly to the French language. French speakers get more results by asking for something indirectly than they do directly.
It is also interesting to note that in this composition and some of his other similar piano works, Debussy places the title at the very end of the piece. The reason may be is that he doesn't want to create a predefined image of what the title may infer according to the music that will follow. This too, is also indirect way of telling a story. The listener must allow his mind to -paint the picture- of what he hears, without giving the surprise away at the beginning.
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QHarefield
That was, indeed, interesting. Thank you. (I got a bit of a shock when I discovered, just now, that that piece is already over 100 years old!) When I was a teenager, I thought Bach was everything (I still do!) and I looked down my nose at Debussy. To me, he was simple, and facile, and, occasionally, discordant. Now that I am older, I am wiser!
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That was, indeed, interesting. Thank you. (I got a bit of a shock when I discovered, just now, that that piece is already over 100 years old!) When I was a teenager, I thought Bach was everything (I still do!) and I looked down my nose at Debussy. To me, he was simple, and facile, and, occasionally, discordant. Now that I am older, I am wiser!
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Anthony
Thank you! I found this was very interesting. I Also appreciated your teaching Style-- without knowing anything pertaining to your background you very much sounded like a college professor of music and music history. I will have to check out other content you have posted. So again, Thank you for your contributions and work. Blessings
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Thank you! I found this was very interesting. I Also appreciated your teaching Style-- without knowing anything pertaining to your background you very much sounded like a college professor of music and music history. I will have to check out other content you have posted. So again, Thank you for your contributions and work. Blessings
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mr
Interesting talk... thanks... Took me a while to warm to Debussy. But now I know how he composed, he was very clever. Actually a genius. I always liken his music as looking at a 19th century country scene through a sepia filter. Kind of difficult to realise at first. But very romantic and evocative...
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Interesting talk... thanks... Took me a while to warm to Debussy. But now I know how he composed, he was very clever. Actually a genius. I always liken his music as looking at a 19th century country scene through a sepia filter. Kind of difficult to realise at first. But very romantic and evocative...
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Owen
Interesting video. My analytical skills are near nought. I don't study. But videos like this interest me. It make me think of another one I saw on Messiaen's modes of limited transposition. Maybe that idea was inspired, in part, by hearing Debussy's use of the whole tone scale in C.
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Interesting video. My analytical skills are near nought. I don't study. But videos like this interest me. It make me think of another one I saw on Messiaen's modes of limited transposition. Maybe that idea was inspired, in part, by hearing Debussy's use of the whole tone scale in C.
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Mickster65
Debussy wrote music in parallel 3rds, 5ths, and etc. That's only part of story. There is the unspoken feeling how the music comes together. Music theory is dry untested sound. Debussy could play 2 notes or 2 chords and the world becomes beautiful.
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Debussy wrote music in parallel 3rds, 5ths, and etc. That's only part of story. There is the unspoken feeling how the music comes together. Music theory is dry untested sound. Debussy could play 2 notes or 2 chords and the world becomes beautiful.
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Akai
As the composers gets older, the more horizons they explore and cover. I always pretty bummed out that their latter works adds more and more pages to play like from ten pages to hundred pages long.Its ridiculous but challeging and fascinating.
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As the composers gets older, the more horizons they explore and cover. I always pretty bummed out that their latter works adds more and more pages to play like from ten pages to hundred pages long.Its ridiculous but challeging and fascinating.
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Lorence
Debussy and Ravel are 2 of my faves! I love knowing this things, although I'm still young and can barely play piano, but I do understand some of what you've said... but this is just utterly amazing!
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Debussy and Ravel are 2 of my faves! I love knowing this things, although I'm still young and can barely play piano, but I do understand some of what you've said... but this is just utterly amazing!
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marylynngaydosh
Thank you very much! Could you possibly record the major third voicings from 8:40 in this video, with the octave bass, and the -constant- Bb as you mentioned? Thank You!
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Thank you very much! Could you possibly record the major third voicings from 8:40 in this video, with the octave bass, and the -constant- Bb as you mentioned? Thank You!
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