Claude Debussy (1862-1918): "La plus que lente"

The composer Claude Debussy needs little introduction. As a pianist, he was noted for his avoidance of the crisp, dry and articulated style which typified French pianism of the nineteenth century. His style of playing was simple, highly tone-conscious and completely uncluttered by over-expressive angst.

The recording is a piano roll recording made by Debussy for Welte in 1913 (just three years after the work was composed). The piano rolls for Welte are amongst the most accurate we have, conveying the original performed dynamics, attack and pedalling rather faithfully, and when a good roll is played on a properly conditioned piano, the problems of dubious rhythmic bumpiness which infect many roll playbacks can vanish. This rendition seems as fine as we could hope for.

This work, "La plus que lente", is a very slow waltz of sorts, composed in 1910.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Claude
• Debussy
• piano
• recording
• classical
• La
• plus
• que
• lente

[GuitarMuse]

why when i think i've heard every debussy peace i stumble across another one that is so beautiful...debussy was such an amazing composer..a lot of times i have emotions that I can't express, but when i listen to his music it captures who i feel in a way that nothing else can

[TheChickeneck]

Debussy really was one of the best composers. This piece is touching but strong in some parts. Nice!

[BassicStorm]

the ending of this valse is so beautiful, dreamy and soft

[TheRosie96]

@reader960000 haha no im not xD but i'm liking the reference to her : ) i was just as surprised to hear his peices on there :D

[reader960000]

@TheRosie96 omg are you a cassie? (sorry if you're not) i was surprised...imagine finding a fellow fan here :DD

[SethsStudio]

@Naiis92 I agree, it's not too fast for Debussy. But it's too fast for my taste, and I prefer slower, more expressive renditions.

[etherealnate]

This is not as it is written today. Sections of only a few bars here and there are left out. This brings to question what Debussy's true intent was. Was he a forgetful person and innocently left out a few places or was this ultimately how he wanted the piece to go? It's interesting to wonder. I'm a concert pianist but also a dingbat so I can see how it would be easy to forget little parts but I could also see why those little parts would be unnecessary ultimately for the over all piece.

[gottegrisen94]

@EmGem1986 Except that it is impressionism...

[aardvaark069]

Gives one the idea that the modern performance practice crowd are absolutely off their heads. Clearly Debussy had no intention that his music be played exactly as written. In fact I doubt that any composer ever expected that his music would be played exactly as written. They all expected it to be 'played' with.

[pianocookie11]

@pichubcn Good job. You just made Debussy turn over in his grave.

[MJTTOMB]

@EmGem1986 I think you mean Impressionism? Even so, Debussy was more closely tied with the French Symbolist Poets than Impressionist painters, and he had no ties whatsoever to Expressionism, which is literally the opposite of Impressionism.

[crooksterx]

He is playing something different to my score of this piece, he adds stuff and takes phrases away. I guess this is the privilege of composing something yourself, you don't have to do what you originally intended if you don't feel like it ;)

Always good to know how the actual composer intended this piece to be played, and I good interpretation it is :)