Best Debussy Quotes | Short & Famous Sayings

“It was delicious in the garden. The storm had passed over long since, and it was still and warm; the sweetness of the stocks and roses filled the air with the peculiar intensity of fragrance of flowers after rain - in the evening light they had the unnatural shadowy vividness of a coloured photograph. The rain had stirred up the nightingales too - near and far, their bubbling ecstasy welled out from the dark shelter of ilexes and cypresses, and through the open windows of the villa there came presently the cool elusive sequences of Debussy's music - ghosts of melody rather than melodies, evocations rather than statements; gleams on water and pale lights in spring skies, a single star, slow waves beating in mist on a deserted shore. Grace leant back in the corner of her seat, listening, watching the leaves of the buckthorns, like little curved pencils, against the sky above her head; in the relaxation of fatigue her attention was fixed on nothing, but some part of her was profoundly aware of all these things - the scent of the flowers, the song of the nightingales, the cool western music, with its memories of her own Atlantic shores.”

Nature Beauty Music Garden Debussy

Book:Illyrian Spring

Source: Illyrian Spring

“The century of airplanes deserves its own music. As there are no precedents, I must create anew.”

Music Composition 20th Century Classical Music Impressionism Debussy Composers Fin De Siecle Claude Debussy

Author:Claude Debussy

“I am a classical fan. I like Debussy a lot, so I was trying to learn it on the piano. I've learned like a third of it, but I think I'm getting to a section that may be beyond my skill level.”

Thinking Trying May Levels Fans Skills Thirds Piano I've Learned Sections Debussy

Author:Charlie Day

“When Claude Debussy studied at the Paris Conservatory from age ten to age twenty-two, many considered him a rebel because of his treatment of dissonance and his disdain for the established forms. He reputedly turned to a fellow student during a performance of Beethoven with the words, "Let's go. He's starting to develop.”

Two Age Form Students Ten Performances Twenties Fellows Starting Paris Treatment Rebel Disdain Dissonance Twenty Two Conservatory Debussy

Author:Claude Debussy

“Claude Debussy was a rare phenomenon a composer profoundly and subversively revolutionary.”

Revolutionary Phenomenon Composer Debussy

Author:Claude Debussy

“When asked by a grumpily puzzled professor what "rules" he followed, Debussy is said to have retorted, mon plaisir "whatever I please" and he further claimed that more was to be gained by watching the sun rise than by listening to the Pastoral Symphony. Although such remarks were intended to shock, they contain a core of Debussyan verity.”

Said Past Sun Listening Please Core Shock Professors Remarks Symphony Puzzled Sun Rise Debussy

Author:Claude Debussy

“I loved Debussy, Stravinsky, Chopin, Tchaikovsky, anything with romantic melodies, especially the nocturnes. Nietzsche was a hero, especially with Thus Spoke Zarathustra. He gets a bad rap; hes very misunderstood. Hes a maker of individuals, and he was a teacher of teachers.”

Individual Teacher Hero Rap Spokes Melody Makers Misunderstood Stravinsky Zarathustra Tchaikovsky Debussy

Author:Joni Mitchell

“Erik Satie does not say the opposite of Debussy; he says the same thing only the other way round.”

Way Doe Music Musician Opposites Rounds Debussy

Author:Jose Bergamin

“Debussy--A pretty girl with one blue eye and one brown one.”

Eye Girl Music Musician Blue Brown Blue Eyes Pretty Girl Debussy

Author:H. L. Mencken

“I had no idea Stravinsky disliked Debussy so much as this.”

Ideas No Idea Stravinsky Debussy

Author:Ernest Newman

“And now, in honour of the 150th anniversary of Beethoven's death, I would like to play 'Clear the Saloon', er, 'Clair de Lune', by Debussy. I don't play Beethoven so well, but I play Debussy very badly, and Beethoven would have liked that.”

Wells Play Clear Honour Saloons Debussy

Author:Victor Borge

“Claude Debussy defined the guitar as an expressive harpsicord. I believe that is the best definition ever given of the Spanish guitar. This phrase is the starting point for my Concierto de Aranjuez Our guitar is the only survivor of the rich and anarchic instrumental wildlife of the Middle Ages.”

Believe Age Given I Believe Rich Middle Guitar Starting Definitions Defined Phrases Survivor Middle Ages Wildlife Starting Point Expressive Debussy

Author:Joaquin Rodrigo

“Do you think Duke Ellington didn't listen to Debussy? Louis Armstrong loved opera, did you know that? Name me a jazz pianist who wasn't influenced by European music!”

Thinking Knows Names Jazz Opera Dukes Pianist Did You Know Armstrong Debussy

Author:Dave Brubeck

“The score of Pelleas and Melisande by Debussy, heralds that which will lift man from the earthly to the celestial, from the mortal to the immortal. Once again the ways of the artist and healer are merging.”

Men Way Inspiration Artist Mortals Lifts Contemplation Score Immortal Celestial Healer Merging Debussy

Author:Corinne Heline

“I love Italian opera - it's so reckless. Damn Wagner, and his bellowings at Fate and death. Damn Debussy, and his averted face. I like the Italians who run all on impulse, and don't care about their immortal souls, and don't worry about the ultimate.”

Love Soul Care Running Faces Worry Fate Ultimate Don't Care Impulse Damn Immortal Italian Opera Reckless Wagner Immortal Soul Debussy

Book:The Letters of D. H. Lawrence

Source: The Letters of D. H. Lawrence

“Although I am basically self taught, I consider Debussy my teacher - the most important elements are colour, light and shadow.”

Important Self Light Music Teacher Taught Elements Shadow Colour Light And Shadow Self Taught Debussy

Author:Toru Takemitsu

“For Debussy the musician and the man I have had profound admiration, but by nature I'm different from him. I think I have always personally followed a direction opposed to that of the symbolism of Debussy.”

Thinking Men Different He Man Musician Profound Admiration Symbolism Aeroplanes Debussy

Author:Maurice Ravel

“We all shared an admiration of Debussy both as a musician and as sort of an icon for the 20th century. It seemed like an interesting idea to go right back 100 years to find the source of some new ideas now.”

Years Ideas Interesting Century Source Musician Admiration New Ideas 20th Century Icons Aeroplanes Interesting Ideas Debussy

Author:Anne Dudley

“I have no doubt that there are great people about though... the thing of it is, nothing to this day moves me like classical music (Debussy, Vaughn Williams).”

People Moving Doubt No Doubt This Day Classical Music Great People Great Day Debussy

Author:Gary Lucas

“If you go to Japan for instance, you should know that they have a different way of playing Beethoven or Brahms. But if you play with them Mozart, Debussy, Mendelssohn, they have a wonderful light feeling for that.”

Ifs Knows Way Should Different Play Feelings Light Wonderful Instance Different Ways Japan Brahms Debussy Mendelssohn

Author:Kurt Masur