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He had a profound impact upon music and musicians in his day, and created new genres for the piano and orchestra, this week Donald Macleod explores Claude Debussy through his chamber music.

Debussy, in the early twentieth century, had settled down with Emma Bardac, with whom he had a daughter Claude-Emma. The family struggled financially and Debussy had to take on conducting work. For the Paris conservatoire, he produced a sight-reading test piece, his Petite Pièce, and also an examination work, the Première Rhapsodie, both for clarinet and piano.

The prospect of generous commission fees drew Debussy to compose for the stage. He started work on a ballet project, called Khamma, which was to be set in Egypt. Another commision came from the dancer Ida Rubenstein, who asked for a new work based on the Martyrdom of St Sebastian. The finished piece caused much controversy and the Archbishop of Paris forbade Catholics to attend performances, under threat of excommunication!