Impressionism and the Artistic Work of Debussy Music (Coursework Sample)

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Impressionism and the Artistic Work of Debussy Music
Despite growing up in France as a painter, Debussy was accepted as a composer. Debussy had all the requirements to become a sailor though he focused on achieving his dream as a musical composer (Debussy and Webster 12). He is regarded as the most influential musicians of the twentieth century and people loved the taste of his music. He showed his willingness to becoming a popular musician since his childhood. His personal goal was to make people love his music. He changed the people's approach t music due to his rebelliousness, passion, suffering, and determination.
According to Wingfield, Debussy is regarded as a trailblazer and a musical pioneer who revolutionized the Western musical tradition and the French music when it was receding and stagnating from the world stage. He influenced the styles of music that were either directly or indirectly linked to his art pieces such as atonality, minimalism, and jazz. He had a huge impact on the music with a lot of innovation. Several critics are unable to categorize the Debussy's oeuvres and due to his universally accepted solutions. Thus, several people refer to his composition as ‘impressionism' and most individuals who do not study music have accepted this as a sole definition of his work. Thus, impressionism is not the only aspect that one can use to assess Debussy music.
Debussy and Webster opine that the second envoi de Rome highlighted ‘impressionism' aspects to the works of Debussy. The vocal and musical ‘printemps' of Debussy has a feeling exaggerated musical color making the composer forget the significance of form and precise construction. Thus, critics argue that Debussy largely painted his music with vague impressionism. However, people misunderstood the intentions of the artist which have stuck to the modern society. Debussy composed most of his work after the heyday of impressionist painters in 70s and 80s. The images and compositions of Debussy depict tendencies and qualities of the impressionistic movement. More so, Debussy acknowledged that he was a follower of Claude Monet and wrote to the editor clarifying his position. When Debussy was rehearsing for the premier of La mer, his tempo differed on different occasions and days just like the way one views painting different at varied times.
According to Zane, Debussy had a huge impact on the stimuli of some of the painters in 70s and 80s. For instance, Hokusai, a Japanese artist admired the works of Debussy. He used water as the major inspiration for his composition. Thus, the depiction of the sea in Debussy' work does not automatically imply an entire visual sensory without connotation to the specific incident. Debussy used the sea to show emotional upheavals especially after leaving his wife for another woman. Thus, his work does not entirely represent aspects of impressionism.
Wingfield states that the label has been detrimental to the status of Debussy as a composer. The musical conservatism of Debussy has led to misguided and innumerable flawed performance using the excess pedal. The compositions of Debussy are fastidious and precise. He utilized the piano piece in a masterly manner implying that he understands the parameters of the instrument. More so, his music is percussive for instance the opening bars of ‘nade interrogate' that imitates the sound of the Spanish guitar. He also utilized the Golden sections to display mathematical and precision elements to his compositions.
Debussy and Webster opine that the name Debussy is symbolism based on the assessment of his musical work. The movement of the artistic works of Debussy proposed by Charles Baudelaire grew fast in Paris during the nineteenth century. Symbolism was a direct reaction to Realism forming an antithesis of impressionism. The followers of symbolism were concerned with the externalizing the internal, world of mind, supernatural, dreams, and means of art. Debussy was not educated and but a vast knowledge of music and had a passion for literature. He made his compositions using writers and words as opposed to using the visual arts. Thus, the symbolism was not rooted in music, but it was famous in the literature which Debussy composed his works using literary styles and origins.
According to Wingfield, the music, and composition of Debussy stressed on nuances and mood over pure melodies pattern. He created animated harmonic stances and critics describe his work as a drama of the real world. His music is described as the drama of implications with psychological conflicts. His art also concentrated on the attitudes in life making his music a depiction of the life situations. His music also gave him wisdom and grief that bowed its somber moving harmonies and phrases. More so, his art contrasted with the golden-throated lyricism of Pelleas. Thus, he managed to bring mood and make his composition live.
Castellaw asserts that Debussy focused on symbolist beliefs and made a close relationship with Paul Bourget and his movement. His music was symbolist, and the orchestral poem that made him famous came from Mallarm. He incorporated the flute in his compositions as well as the tonal and rhythmic techniques. He thus managed to exemplify his indistinct dreams of eponymous faun making him a central figure in the Symbolist philosophy. More so, Debussy combined other non-musical affiliations with his symbolist movement. He participated in the writing of the La Revue Blanche. More so, he exemplifies the pseudo-Medievalism in many of his artistic works. He imitated the monastic organum music creating a vision of the imagined world. Thus, Debussy has successfully contributed to the ideas of symbolist not just in his music and composition but other artistic works.
Debussy and Webster opine that Debussy liked doing things in his way and Lavignac admired his intelligence. Debussy was an accomplished young man because of his determination to accomplish and participate in various activities that he set his mind to do. According to Claude, Debussy did not struggle to become a composer as many people thought. He was closer to poets and painters and not to his fellow musicians. He also liked showing to individuals who did not believe in him, and this was a way of expressing his talent. At school, Debussy would disconcert his teachers with numerous improvisations that made use of the harmonies and progressions outlawed by the textbooks. His outstanding talent led to the recognition of...