Main content
Sorry, this episode is not currently available

An Altered Conscience

Donald Macleod finds Debussy having a mid-life crisis. He'd achieved the fame he'd craved, but his notebooks reveal the inner turmoil of his thoughts.

Heading in to his forties Debussy was on the brink of one of the biggest upheavals in his life. He felt oppressed by the fame he'd achieved, and as he struggled to complete La mer, his notebooks reveal the inner turmoil of his thoughts.

One of the 20th century's most original minds, the French composer Claude Debussy has had a profound influence on the course of music. Born in 1862, his precocious talent gained him admittance to the prestigious Paris Conservatoire as a ten-year-old, one of the youngest pupils in the piano class. There were soon indications of his independence of mind. His student years are littered with reports which, while recognising his gifts also found him to be careless and scatterbrained. Debussy found it difficult to focus on his lessons because he felt frustrated with the rules of composition he was told to follow. He wanted to express himself differently, and if he broke the rules to achieve that, well, in his view, so be it.

This week Donald Macleod begins his stories at the point in Debussy's life where, the young man has dispensed with institutional restrictions. He was free to choose his own path. No more rules, no more regulations. There were still some practical considerations he would have to factor in to his plans. Having fulfilled, for the main, the requirements of the Prix de Rome, he needed to make a professional name for himself, and most urgently, earn some money! All in all, it would prove to be a difficult decade.

When in 1902 Debussy met the then married Emma Bardac, it was to set off a chain of events that would lead to public scandal and tragedy.

La mer
III. Dialogue du vent et de la mer
Berlin Philharmonic
Simon Rattle, director

Estampes: No. 1. Pagodes
Walter Gieseking, piano

Le diable dans le beffroi, completed and orchestrated by Robert Orledge (excerpt)
Allez, il faut nous pr茅parer
Un鈥eux鈥rois鈥 (chorus)
Les diable! C鈥檈st le Diable!...
Le Diable mime
Michael Dries, bell ringer, bass
Virgil Hartinger, Jean, bell ringer鈥檚 son, tenor
Eugene Villanueva, baritone, Burgomaster
G枚ttingen Symphony Orchestra
St Jacobi Chamber Choir, G枚ttingen
Christoph-Mathias Mueller, conductor

Masques
Steven Osborne, piano

Fantaisie for piano and orchestra
I: Andante ma non troppo
Martha Argerich, piano
Staatskapelle Berlin
Daniel Barenboim, conductor

Pell茅as et M茅lisande Act 5 (excerpt)
Ou est-tu M茅lisande鈥.. to the finale
Vannina Santoni, soprano, M茅lisande
Alexandre Duhamel, baritone, Golaud
Jean Teitgen, bass, Arkel
Les Si猫cles
Fran莽ois-Xavier Roth, conductor

La mer
III. Dialogue du vent et de la mer
Berlin Philharmonic
Simon Rattle, director

Producer: Johannah Smith

59 minutes

Last on

Fri 18 Mar 2022 12:00

More episodes

Next

You are at the last episode

See all episodes from Composer of the Week

Music Played

  • Claude Debussy

    Estampes, No 1 (Pagodes)

    Performer: Walter Gieseking.
    • WARNER CLASSICS : 190295802141.
    • WARNER CLASSICS.
    • 34.
  • Claude Debussy

    Le Diable dans le beffroi (excerpt)

    Singer: Michael Dries. Singer: Virgil Hartinger. Singer: Eugene Villanueva. Orchestra: G枚ttingen Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Christoph-Mathias Mueller.
  • Claude Debussy

    Masques for piano

    Performer: Steven Osborne.
    • Claude Debussy Piano Music.
    • Hyperion.
    • 1.
  • Claude Debussy

    Fantaisie for piano and orchestra (1st mvt)

    Performer: Martha Argerich. Orchestra: Berlin State Orchestra. Conductor: Daniel Barenboim.
    • DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON : 483 7537.
    • DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON.
    • 1.
  • Claude Debussy

    Pelleas et Melisande, Act 5 (extract)

    Singer: Vannina Santoni. Singer: Alexandre Duhamel. Singer: Jean Teitgen. Orchestra: Les Si猫cles. Conductor: Fran莽ois鈥怷avier Roth.
    • HARMONIA MUNDI : HMM 905352.54.
    • HARMONIA MUNDI.
    • 37.
  • Claude Debussy

    La Mer, No 3 (Dialogue du vent et de la mer)

    Orchestra: Berliner Philharmoniker. Conductor: Sir Simon Rattle.
    • WARNER CLASSICS : 0724355804556.
    • WARNER CLASSICS.
    • 4.

Broadcast

  • Fri 18 Mar 2022 12:00

Beethoven Unleashed 鈥 the box set

Beethoven Unleashed 鈥 the box set

The complete set of Radio 3 Beethoven Unleashed podcasts, with Donald Macleod.

What was really wrong with Beethoven?

What was really wrong with Beethoven?

Georgia Mann and neurosurgeon Henry Marsh examine the composer's numerous health problems

Composers A to Z

Composers A to Z

Visit the extensive audio archive of Radio 3 programmes about Composers and their works.

Who knew? Five eye-opening stories from Composer of the Week

Who knew? Five eye-opening stories from Composer of the Week

The production team reflects on 5 of Donald Macleod鈥檚 best stories from the last 20 years

Five reasons why we love Parry's Jerusalem

What is the strange power of Jerusalem which makes strong men weep?

A man out of time 鈥 why Parry's music and ideas were at odds with his image...

The composer of Jerusalem was very far from the conservative figure his image suggests.

Composer Help Page

Find resources and contacts for composers from within the classical music industry.