| Suite bergamasque | |
|---|---|
| byClaude Debussy | |
 Claude Debussy c. 1900 byAtelier Nadar | |
| Catalogue | L. 75 |
| Composed | 1890–1905 |
| Published | 1905 by E. Fromont |
| Movements | 4 |
Suite bergamasque (L. 75) (French pronunciation:[sɥitbɛʁɡamask]) is a pianosuite byClaude Debussy. He began composing it around 1890, at the age of 28, but significantly revised it just before its 1905 publication.[1] The popularity of the third movement,Clair de lune, has made it one of the composer's most famous works for piano, as well as one of the most famous musical pieces of all time.[2]
Debussy was initially unwilling to use these relatively early piano compositions because they were not in his mature style, but in 1905 he accepted the offer of a publisher who thought they would be successful, given the fame Debussy had gained in the intervening fifteen years.[1] While it is not known how much of theSuite was written in 1890 and how much was written in 1905, it is clear that Debussy changed the names of at least two of the pieces.Passepied had first been composed under the titlePavane, whileClair de lune was originally entitledPromenade sentimentale. These names come from poems byPaul Verlaine.[1] The title of the third movement ofSuite bergamasque is taken from Verlaine's poem "Clair de lune", which refers tobergamasks in the opening stanza:[1]
Votre âme est un paysage choisi
Que vont charmant masques et bergamasques
Jouant du luth et dansant et quasi
Tristes sous leurs déguisements fantasques.
Your soul is like a landscape fantasy,
Where masks and bergamasks, in charming wise,
Strum lutes and dance, just a bit sad to be
Hidden beneath their fanciful disguise.[3]
Suite bergamasque consists of fourmovements:[4]
The first piece in the suite is in the key of F major and markedmoderatotempo rubato.[4] Itslegato phrases give it a smooth, flowing feel.[5]
The second movement is in A minor.[4] Rather than mimicking the articulations of a baroqueminuet from the start, Debussy eschews the accent on the downbeat of the first measures. The light, fluttery embellishments Debussy writes throughout the movement give it the character of anarabesque.[2]
The third movement is in D♭ major. It is written in compound triplemeter (9
8) and markedandante très expressif.[4] Its title, which means "moonlight" in French, is taken fromVerlaine's poem "Clair de lune".[1] It is not to be confused with the two settings of the poem composed by Debussy for voice and piano accompaniment.
The final movement is in F♯ minor, markedallegretto ma non troppo.[4] Apassepied is a type of dance that originated inBrittany. This movement is fast and light,[5] with the left hand playing an almost continuous quaver or eighth-note accompaniment.[4] The movement includes the use of 3 against 4polyrhythm.[2]
Suite bergamasque has beenorchestrated and arranged by many people, both for concert performance and for use in other media.
In particular,Clair de lune has been arranged for a wide variety of instrumental combinations, including notable orchestrations byAndré Caplet,Leopold Stokowski, andLucien Cailliet.[6]
Clair de lune was originally intended to be included as a fully orchestrated piece in the 1940Walt Disney animated filmFantasia. However, due to runtime issues, it was eventually not included in the final cut of the film.[7] Instead, the footage for its intended segment (featuringherons in the FloridaEverglades at night) was recycled for the "Blue Bayou" segment of the subsequent filmMake Mine Music (1946).[8] However, the "Clair de lune" segment was later restored after aworkprint of it was rediscovered in 1992, complete with an original score by Stokowski and thePhiladelphia Orchestra. It is included as a bonus feature in some later releases ofFantasia.[9]
Passepied was arranged by thePunch Brothers forbluegrass instrumentation for their albumThe Phosphorescent Blues.[10]
A synthesizer version was produced by the Japanese electronic music pioneerIsao Tomita for his 1974 albumSnowflakes Are Dancing, consisting of arrangements and renditions of compositions by Debussy, includingPassepied. It was used at theClosing Ceremony at the2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo on 8 August 2021, as a nod to Paris as the next host city, while children prayed for peace and as theOlympic Flame was extinguished.[11]
A cover version ofClair de lune with lyrics written by Rafael Jaime and titledI Am Born Again is prominently featured in the 2024live-actionMexicanindependentshort filmMi Hermano Lobo (My Brother Wolf).[12][13] The song is performed off-screen by 8-year-old Jorge Luis Jiménez Avilés in the lead role of Rafael.[14][15][16][17]
Japanese video game composerMasafumi Takada featuresClair de lune in many of his works, includingFlower, Sun, & Rain,Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony, andThe Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy.
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