Description
The third piece of the Suite bergamasque. The suite was conceived around 1890 but published only in 1905, after revision. The title comes from Verlaine's poem "Clair de lune," and the suite's own name is taken from a line by the same poet. It is the most widely known piece Debussy wrote.
In D-flat major and 9/8, it opens with a quiet melody in thirds; in the middle section broken chords spread like waves before the stillness returns. Only around 1,500 notes fill more than five minutes, and the piece's character comes from that scarcity and from sustained resonance.
It is rated intermediate, but few pieces open so wide a gap between an easy page and a hard performance. The task is control of pedal and dynamics: layering resonance without blurring it, and carrying a melody to the back of the room at a whisper. Decide where the tempo will bend, and change the pedal by ear. The moment anything is struck hard, the world of the piece is gone.
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What this piece teaches
The goal of this path: Clair de Lune, the third piece of the Suite bergamasque. In D-flat major and 9/8, it opens with a quiet melody in thirds; in the middle section broken chords spread like waves before the stillness returns. It draws together everything on this path about sound and the pedal.
How to practise it
- In the opening melody in thirds, let the upper note float slightly above. At 0.5x, check that the two notes sound exactly together.
- Loop the broken chords of the middle section with A-B, and finish each hand before putting them together.
- The moment anything is struck hard, the world of the piece is gone. Even at the climax, let the sound ring rather than forcing it.
About the Composer
Claude Debussy (1862-1918)
Claude Debussy was a leading figure of French musical Impressionism, whose distinctive harmonic language, drawing on whole-tone scales and church modes, along with pictorial, poetic musical imagery, had a profound influence on twentieth-century music. His piano works, including the Arabesques, the Preludes, and "Clair de Lune," remain beloved favorites. This site includes his First and Second Arabesques, a piece from Book 1 of the Preludes, and "Clair de Lune."
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