Spatialization in the piano works of Claude Debussy
OA Version
Citation
Abstract
Debussy’s works for the piano occupy a significant position in the concert repertoire and have piqued the interest of performers and audience members of the last one-hundred years. The composer, inspired by art, literature, and nature, displays a notable interest in the concept of space. From his programmatic titles to his unique pianistic language, space as a conceptual, perceptual, and metaphorical construct plays a vital role in his output for the instrument. This dissertation examines how the composer utilizes this construct as a means of creating the uniquely imaginative music that has cemented him as the father of Impressionism.
This study examines the piano works of Claude Debussy within the context of musical spatialization by implementing an interdisciplinary approach which integrates traditional musical analysis with research in music cognition and perception. The purpose of this study is to examine the piano works of Claude Debussy through the lens of musical spatialization in order to gain a better understanding of its impact on the conceptual and perceptual facets of these compositions. The result of such an inquiry broadens the current analytical understanding of his compositions and equips the performer with the appropriate tools to represent the spatial aspects of Debussy’s piano works.