大象传媒

There is scandal at the ballet and in the concert hall as Donald Macleod explores the end of Debussy鈥檚 life. Plus, as war erupts, the composer鈥檚 mountain of debt continues to grow.

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.

In Friday鈥檚 episode, there is scandal at the ballet and in the concert hall as Donald explores the end of the life of Claude Debussy. Despite struggling with the cancer which would finally lead to his death, and the eruption of World War One, the composer also finds a new spark of inspiration. However, it would not be enough to counter Debussy鈥檚 mountain of debt which continued to grow as he fails to complete a host of promised works for the stage.

Children鈥檚 Corner 鈥� Cakewalk
Isata Kanneh-Mason, piano

5 Poemes de Charles Baudelaire - III. Le Jet d鈥檈au
Alison Hagley, soprano
Cleveland Orchestra
Pierre Boulez, conductor

The Martyrdom of Saint Sebastian 鈥� Music for Act V - Paradise
Sylvia McNair, soprano
Ann Murray, mezzo-soprano
Nathalie Stutzmann, mezzo-soprano
London Symphony Orchestra & Chorus
Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor

Jeux, L 126
Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra
Jukka-Pekka Saraste, conductor

Sonata for flute, viola and harp, L 137 鈥� III. Finale
Tre Voci

La chute de la maison Usher, L112 (excerpt) (completed and orchestrated by R Orledge)
Christine Barbaux, soprano
Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo
Georges Pr锚tre, conductor

Syrinx
Emmanuel Pahud, flute

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