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Arabesque No. 1. Andantino con moto. This arabesque is in the key of E major. The piece begins with parallelism of triads in first inversion, a composition technique very much used by Debussy and other Impressionists which traces back to the tradition of fauxbourdon.
- Credit/References
- What’s An Arabesque?
- Structure/Arrangement
- Melody
- Harmony
- Close
There are a couple of YouTube videos that I used to help inform my analysis, particularly with the harmonic language that Debussy uses in his Arabesque. Without them I may not have been able to make the observations regarding harmony and other aspects that I make, as they saved a lot of time in labelling the chords etc. The first of these videos is...
I am always primarily concerned with the music composition: the notes that Debussy writes, what they mean and what they can teach us about music composition and arrangement. However, it is worth discussing what “arabesque” is for a moment, as its conceptual influence on Debussy, for the first arabesque, is striking. We would be wrong to assume that...
Below is a tabular analysis of Debussy’s Arabesque No. 1, which breaks the arrangement of the work down into varying units of scale. For example, the column Structure Label defines the work on its broadest scale as a ternary structure. However, we can only come to understand the work on this larger scale due to what it does with Melody and Tonality...
Looking at the Melody column of the tabular analysis, we can see that Debussy’s Arabesqueboasts 6 different melodies. And, while the melodies never feel unconnected (in fact the opposite is true), it is worth noting that this is quite a lot of melodies for a shorter composition to have. My opinion is that Debussy creates a piece so rich in melodic ...
Functional enough.
Starting first with a summation, Debussy’s harmony in Arabesque No. 1is not always functional, but not always not-functional either (LOL.). Functional harmony relies on a clear polarity between dominant (V) and tonic (I), which tells us explicitly that the key is x, y or z. This relationship can often be made clearer by root motion of a fifth too. In other words, both the dominant and tonic chord are in root position within the progression. In essence, the dominant and tonic function together...
Stepwise Basslines and the use of V and V/Vs
A point to highlight from the above example, which I will return to shortly in more depth, is Debussy’s extensive use of inversions. Debussy typically uses these to facilitate his often stepwise moving bass lines. The opening two bars demonstrate this most clearly, by presenting a succession of descending broken first-inversion chords. These set up the descending bass line that Debussy persists with through to bar 5. Another example of a stepwise, indirect but clear progression occurs close t...
Contrasting Inversion and Root Position Progressions
Another interesting tactic, increasing the vitality of Debussy’s harmony, is his use and non-use of inversions. For example, if we take the figures that we have just explored, the two stepwise bass progressions use many, many inversions. Meanwhile, the last example demonstrates a chord progression that uses root position chords. The effect of this is sections that contrast on multiple levels, one of those levels being the bass progression and the clarity of the harmony. Root position triads a...
As I did not want to labour the point, there are many opportunities where one can see a connection between visual qualities in Arabesques and musical qualities in Debussy’s Arabesque. In fact, it could be one of the best compositions that takes a non-musical stimulus, such as a piece of art, that I have ever had the pleasure of analysing. The reaso...
Première arabesque (No.1) Complete Performance. #301686 - 7.87MB - 4:18 - 7.6410256410256/10 2 4 6 8 10 (39) - !N /!N /!N - 16191 ×⇩. MP3 file (audio) Thesimon (2013/11/3) Performer Pages.
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Arabesque No. 1, composed by Claude Debussy, is a solo piano piece that has become popular in modern classical music. It is a piece with a romantic French feel, combining a dreamy, almost mysterious tone with lively and energetic moments.
Aug 18, 2022 · Starting back in E major, Debussy moves through A major and then into a bold C major. The transposed main theme brings a new lease of life to the music. A reprise of the opening figure returns, this time back in the home key of E major, with Arabesque No.1 concluding quietly and with poise.
Feb 26, 2020 · Arabesque No. 1, Claude Debussy. Claude DEBUSSY. At-A-Glance. Listen to audio: Composed: 1891. Length: c. 4 minutes. Orchestration: solo piano. About this Piece. The Deux Arabesques were the first solo piano works published by the young Debussy in 1891; he was still in his 20s.
