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stefoodie
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| Posted: Aug 06 2007 at 8:42am | IP Logged
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Our composer of the month is Claude Debussy. I don't have time to write long right now so I'm posting a short bio from Classics for Kids:
Quote:
Claude Debussy
Born: August 22, 1862
Died: March 25, 1918
Claude Debussy really had a double first name: Achille-Claude. He was born in a suburb of Paris, and it was his aunt who first noticed how musical he was. She got him started taking piano lessons. When he was only ten, Debussy started studying at the very strict Paris Conservatory.
As a child, Debussy was fascinated by visual art, and as he grew up, he loved the new style called "Impressionism." Instead of painting realistic, lifelike paintings with hard outlines, Impressionists used thousands of dots, or many different shades of color to create the "impression" of what they wanted to depict. Debussy took that idea and applied it to music, creating Impressionism in music.
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This week's feature at my blog is Clair de Lune. If you go to my blog you can listen there -- it's on auto-play.
I'll be back later with a bunch of fun ideas for this month!
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stef
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stefoodie
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You can listen to the entire recording of Suite Bergamasque, from which Clair de Lune is taken, click on this link at Piano Society -- there are also PDF files available to download sheet music.
Notes on Suite Bergamasque from ClassicalMusic.About.com
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stef
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Chari
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Thanks for doing this, Stef! Classics for Kids has been one of the best resources for us over the years.
Enjoy!
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Chari...Take Up & Read
Dh Marty 27yrs...3 lovely maidens: Anne 24, Sarah 20 & Maddelyn 17 and 3 chivalrous sons: Matthew 22, Garrett 16 & Malachy 11
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stefoodie
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| Posted: Aug 07 2007 at 1:21pm | IP Logged
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Classics for Kids is a favorite here too, but we haven't listened as often as we should!
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stef
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stefoodie
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Ideas for enjoying Claude Debussy’s music this month:
* Listen to Clair de Lune while sipping a cup of French Verveine / Verveine Odorante and admiring a Monet painting or two (or Renoir’s) — this would be especially lovely on a gloomy or cloudy day, but you don’t have to wait for one, as Clair de Lune could be playing on the background as you sit outside on your porch enjoying a quiet, star-filled evening . Get your telescope out and look at the moon. Other ideas: read some books about the moon, make a chart of moon phases, etc.
* A Bit of Trivia: Debussy’s Clair de Lune was supposed to have been included in the movie Fantasia. Alas! The film was just too long and the segment featuring Clair de Lune was cut. It is, however, included in the Fantasia 3-DVD set, in case you want to see it.
* A short bio of Claude Debussy can be found at Classics for Kids.
* I have not found kids’ books written specifically about Debussy (please let me know if you have!) but I did find out that he’s included in the following compilations: Story-Lives of Master Musicians by Harriette Brower, Famous Composers for Young People by Burch and Wolcott, Heroes of Music by Renee Fisher, History’s 100 Greatest Composers by Helen L. Kaufmann, Masters of Music: Their Works, Their Lives, Their Times by Samachson and Samachson.
* There are also bits and pieces about him here:
o page 32-33 story of the orchestra — where Arabesque No. 1 is featured
o page 30 the young person’s guide to the orchestra - about Iberia
o page 65 lives of the musicians - about his influence on other composers
so if you have any of those books….
* The Classics for Kids website features Corner Suite and 4 shows you can listen to; after listening, if you are so inclined, there are short quizzes available. All can be accessed through this link.
* For more examples of Impressionist Music, click here.
* For your girls, Betsy and the Great World (Betsy-Tacy series), where there’s a brief mention of Debussy.
More later…
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stefoodie
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This week we have been listening to Children's Corner -- a favorite is Golliwogg's Cakewalk.
You can listen here.
Besides what Classics for Kids offers, some other interesting things I came across when I was looking for more information about this piece:
Golliwog's Cakewalk by Charles T. Downey
from answers.com
Sheetmusic can be downloaded here.
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4Real Forums : The Arts in the Everyday
Topic: Composer of the Month: Claude Debussy
