Day 18

Hello! One video and one PDF today.

Downloads:
One thing today:

crisp practice assessment

Today’s Recommended Listening:

Claude Debussy (1862-1918)
La Mer: I. De L’aube a midi sur la mer

(Orchestra)

Pierre Boulez conducting the Cleveland Orchestra
[Spotify] - 9 minutes

Trapped on a desert island with the complete works of one composer for the rest of my life, I would be hard-pressed to pass up Debussy. He was very decidedly self-proclaimed as *not* an impressionist. But if you think of him as an impressionist, it will all make sense ;)

Debussy is well known for alllllll sorts of pieces but maybe his most recognizable hit is Clair de Lune. A lot of his music revolved around nature and the moon, including this orchestral hit (“The Sea”). This work has a hugely famous cello section soli where the cellists are divided into four parts. It’s on, like, every orchestral audition.

But notably, he wrote it after hearing the premiere of the world’s first Saxophone Quartet at one of the Worlds Fairs in Paris. And I know that’s why I started playing the cello - to sound like a saxophone! But it really is a phenomenal work. 

His Cello Sonata is definitely worth looking into - it might be my favorite Sonata to perform and is often regarded as one of the “I’m a professional-level cellist now!” pieces.

This recording, with Pierre Boulez conducting the Cleveland Orchestra, is my favorite. Boulez (who studied with / was friends with / argued extensively with Messiaen) is my favorite conductor for French music and music from the 20th century, generally. He is also certainly one of the greatest musical minds of the century, as conductor, theorist, pianist, and composer. Check out Messagesquisse to see what I mean.

What to explore next:

    1. Debussy - Cello Sonata 
      [Rostropovich/Britten]

    1. Debussy - Nuages 
      [Boulez / Cleveland]

    1. Pierre Boulez | Messagesquisse for solo cello + 6 cellos 
      [YouTube - Alexis Descharmes playing all 7 parts]

See you tomorrow!
—Eric