Classical Music | Piano Music

Recorded on 11/18/2009, uploaded on 04/03/2010

Musician's or Publisher's Notes

Claude Debussy composed his two books of preludes during a remarkably brief period—the first, between December 1909 and February 1910; and the second, during roughly the same period in 1912-13. Though totaling twenty-four in number between the two books, Debussy’s preludes do not follow the precedent established by J. S. Bach’s ubiquitously known Well-Tempered Clavier(namely, a prelude in each of the major and minor keys) and imitated by several other composers, including Frédéric Chopin, Charles-Valentin Alkan, and Sergei Rachmaninoff. However, this does not mean that Debussy’s preludes are without order, and the relationships that can be found among them indicate that their published order was, to a certain extent, quite purposeful, yet also designed with a degree of inherent flexibility. Debussy, in keeping with the artistic philosophy of his day, also composed each prelude with specific scene or image in mind. Yet, to partially disguise these intents from the listener and to allow his audience to discover them of their own accord, Debussy craftily placed his titles at the end of each prelude. Performance practice of the preludes varies. Early performances, even by Debussy himself, established a precedent of grouping the prelude in threes or fours, allowing performers to pick those in which they perhaps are most comfortable. However, some performers also choose to perform each book in their entirety.

Les collines d’Anacapri (“The Hills of Anacapri”) is the fifth prelude of Debussy’s first book of preludes. It was inspired by the town of Anacapri on the island of Capri, off the coast of Italy, which the composer frequently visited. The prelude is a lively scherzo-like piece, mingled with elements of the tarantella, and interspersed with moments of sublime awe. In the brilliant key of B major, it opens with the clear ringing of isolated tones, like a stunning view on a clear sunlit day, which alternate with lively quasi-tarantella passages. The main body of the scherzo is lively with vibrant tremolos supporting an energetic and supple tune.      Joseph DuBose

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Les collines d'Anacapri (The Hills of Anacapri)        Claude Debussy

This prelude is the fifth in a collection of twelve that Debussy began in late 1909.  A decade later, he created a second collection of twelve.  

Debussy never intended the pieces to be performed in a series; he thought of them as individual works. The titles were given by the composer to create images or sensory associations for the listener. The titles appear at the end of each movement, allowing the performer to discover impressions for himself, without being guided by Debussy's own thoughts.  Anacapri is a comune-like a county or township-on the island of Capri, to which Debussy was a frequent visitor.    Victor Goldberg