Best of Frenemies: Debussy and Ravel

Debussy and Ravel are often described as the prototypical musical
impressionists. It is often said that the two composers are the
closest equivalents to the artistic world of Monet, Renoir,
Pisarro, Degas, and others. But both Ravel and Debussy (like
Monet for that matter), vehemently rejected the term
Impressionism, and they both felt that they were striking out on
their own individual paths in their msuic. That didn’t stop the
public and critics from constantly comparing the music of these
two shining lights of French music, despite the fact that Ravel
and Debussy are actually quite different. Comparing Ravel and
Debussy is a bit like comparing Haydn and Mozart. At first
glance, there are many similarities, but if you look and listen
more closely, Ravel and Debussy(like Mozart and Haydn) had
totally different approaches, goals, and styles.


All of the constant comparisons and attempts at making the
composers compete with each other had a real impact on Debussy
and Ravel. Initially they were friends and mutual admirers of
each others work, but they slowly drifted apart over time until
they stopped speaking to each other altogether. We’ll talk about
this complicated personal relationship, as well as looking at
these differences in their music, not from a critical standpoint,
but from the perspective of bringing out what is so wonderfully
unique about their music. We’ll also talk about Ravel’s
arrangements of two Debussy’s greatest orchestral works: his two
piano arrangement of Debussy’s Nocturnes, and his piano 4 hands
arrangement of the legendary Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun.
Join us on another collaboration with G Henle Publishers!


Recordings:


Nocturnes


Claudio Abbado with London Symphony
Anne Shasby, Richard McMahon, Piano


Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun


Ravel arrangement: Jean-Pierre Armengaud and Olivier Chauzu
Debussy Arrangement: Charles Badami and Anthony Olson