大象传媒

Debussy ascends to a new level of fame as his opera Pell茅as et M茅lisande is premiered, but more lies and duplicity from the composer have tragic repercussions.

In the music of Claude Debussy there have been said to run dangerous and destructive currents. His radical works did forge a path which would redefine music in the 20th century, but his beautiful music runs contrary to his shocking personal life. The Scottish soprano Mary Garden said of him, 鈥淚 honestly don鈥檛 know if he ever loved anybody really. He loved his music 鈥� and perhaps himself.鈥� The lies and duplicity, deception and debt left other unfortunate people in their wake, with Debussy unrepentant throughout. In the aftermath of these scandals, Debussy was disowned by his friends, and by most of Parisian society, but the notoriety he gained only seemed to heighten his appeal with audiences. Over the course of this week, Donald Macleod tracks the scandalous life of Achille-Claude Debussy and tries to reconcile his appalling behaviour with his transcendent music.

Today, a band of Debussy supporters called Les Apaches (the Hooligans) help him ascend to a new level of fame as his opera Pell茅as et M茅lisande is premiered. However, Donald find more lies and duplicity from the composer and this time they lead to tragic repercussions, with the composer being forced to flee France.

Estampes - II. La soiree dans Grenade
Walter Gieseking, piano

Pell茅as et M茅lisande, Act III (excerpt)
Julien Behr, tenor (Pell茅as)
Vannina Santoni, soprano (M茅lisande),
Les Siecles
Francois Xavier Roth, conductor

Rhapsodie for saxophone and orchestra
Daniel Gauthier, saxophone
Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra
Heinz Holliger, conductor

L鈥檌sle joyeuse
Werner Haas, piano

Danse Sacr茅e et Danse Profane
Lisa Wellbaum (harp)
Cleveland Orchestra
Pierre Boulez, conductor

La Mer 鈥� III. Dialogue of the Waves
Berlin Philharmonic
Herbert von Karajan, conductor

Produced by Sam Phillips for 大象传媒 Audio Wales and West