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Interesting Questions, Facts and Information
- There are a total of 25 general entries.
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 Interesting Questions, Facts, and Information
 Debussy
1918. He died when World War One was raging, but his work would leave a mark on music for years to come.
| What piano works by another French composer did Debussy orchestrate? | Debussy
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'Gymnopédies'. Debussy orchestrated Erik Satie's first and third Gymnopédies (not the Ravel, Chabrier and Faure works).
| What orchestral piece utilized women's wordless voices? | Debussy
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Sirens. Based on the Greek myth of the Sirens, it was the third piece of Debussy's 'Nocturnes', and inspired Gustav Holst's 'Neptune' from his 'Planets' suite.
| What Christian martyr inspired Debussy to write a Cantata? | Debussy
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Sebastian. It was 'The Martyrdom of Saint Sebastian', recorded by Leonard Bernstein in its' debut on disc.
| What German composer was an early influence on Debussy? | Debussy
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Wagner. Wagner's 'Tristan and Isolde' also experimented with {atonality;} Debussy, though, shook off the influence. He did quote a bit from 'Tristan' in 'Golliwog'.
| What famed dancer choreographed Debussy's work? | Debussy
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Vaclav Nijinsky. The great Nijinsky created a ballet for 'Prelude' before his shocking 'Rite Of Spring'(set to Stravinsky's earth-shaking score). Jerome Robbins of 'West Side Story' fame also did a ballet to 'Prelude'.
| Who wrote the poem that inspired Debussy's best known work, 'Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun'? | Debussy
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Stephane Mallarme. The poem has been overshadowed by the music, as Bizet's opera has overshadowed Merimee's original 'Carmen'.
| What piano suite of Debussy's includes a piece inspired by American minstrel shows and the 'golliwog' doll? | Debussy
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'Children's Corner'. It was 'Golliwog's Cake Walk', and the doll belonged to Debussy's daughter. He also wrote another piece on the subject, 'Minstrels'.
| What piano piece was inspired by an old Breton legend? | Debussy
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'The Engulfed Cathedral'. Lalo wrote an opera on the legend, but Debussy's piece, one of the most beautiful ever written, is the one best known today.
| What was the instrument he played and wrote for primarily? | Debussy
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piano. Though best known for his orchestral music, Debussy first made his name with his piano scores.
1862. Debussy's benchmark efforts actually began in the 1890's.
Maurice Maeterlinck. While Maeterlinck readily gave Debussy permission to convert "Pelleas" into an opera, their relationship deteriorated to the point where Maeterlinck wrote an open letter denouncing Debussy and hoping for the opera's failure!
Pelleas et Melisande. "Pelleas et Melisande" was Debussy's only opera. "Lulu" is by Alban Berg, "Samson et Dalila" by Camille Saint-Saens, and "Faust" by Charles Gounod.
| In 1893, Debussy completed his orchestral work "Prelude a l'Apres-midi d'un Faune". Who wrote the poem on which this work was based? | Claude Debussy - Life and Works
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Stephane Mallarme. Mallarme was a leader of the Symbolist movement in literature.
| From 1880-1882, Debussy was employed by Madame Nadezhda von Meck. Madame von Meck was the patroness of which famous Russian composer? | Claude Debussy - Life and Works
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Tchaikovsky. Debussy taught piano to Madame von Meck's children and accompanied the family on trips to Italy, Austria, and Russia. Although Madame von Meck was a great admirer of Tchaikovsky, they never met in person!
| One of Debussy's earliest piano teachers was Madame Antoinette Maute. What famous French poet, who wrote "Fetes Galantes", was Madame Maute's son-in-law? | Claude Debussy - Life and Works
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Paul Verlaine. Verlaine married Mathilde Maute in 1870. Their marriage broke up when Verlaine commenced a turbulent affair with Arthur Rimbaud.
Paris. St-Germain-en-Laye is west of Paris. Debussy's parents owned a china shop.
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