Uploaded February 2022 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Claude Debussy is one of the most important pianists and composers of the 20th century. This selection shows how Debussy played the piano, how he wanted his piano works to be interpreted and I tried to explain Debussy's piano concept in the information I gave in the video. All the recordings I chose from pianists associated with Debussy.
Debussy was generally dissatisfied with the pianists playing his own works: "I assure you one cannot imagine how my music is disfigured; often I can scarcely recognize it. . . . Pianists dissect my music into bits and pieces, like a roast chicken."
Marguerite Long, one of France's most important pianists and piano pedagogues, would describe Debussy's influence on the French Piano School: "We never listened to or played the piano after Debussy in the same way as we did before him . . . He was an incomparable pianist." Jacques Durand: "A full sonority, a remarkable delicacy, a perfect mastery of nuance, an impeccable finish, an imperceptible rubato always framed within the beat, an astounding use of pedal: all this was what defined Debussy's playing."
Debussy said that he had heard only two fine pianists in his lifetime: "... my old piano teacher, a small, fat lady who threw me into Bach and who played him as no one does nowadays, making him live [...]. The second pianist was Liszt, whom I heard in Rome." Debussy was definitely influenced by Chopin and Liszt. His teacher was a student of Chopin. He gave references to Chopin throughout his life and dedicated his Etudes to Chopin. And he had heard of Liszt himself, and Liszt's use of pedals especially impressed him.
Even if the understanding of the piano came from Chopin and Liszt, there were serious innovations. First of all, Debussy did not like Bel Canto opera and Chopin's pianism had a Bel Canto influence. Debussy removed this Bel Canto and vocal influence on the piano. Secondary, Debussy had a piano approach similar to Liszt, he thought orchestral. But it was not a large orchestra like Liszt's. Debussy does not have the percussion piano understanding of Liszt. For Debussy, the piano was a stringed instrument, and the piano was not a miniature orchestra, piano had its own timbre. It was not like a reproduction instrument. He had a "knowing of limits" perspective like Chopin. Debussy removed other interactions and sought the piano's own character. The piano was not an instrument imitating songs or a miniature instrument imitating all instruments. The piano was a harp and bell-like instrument with a distinctive timbre.
There are no recordings in this selection of pianists like Moriz Rosenthal and Victor Staub, whom Debussy might have liked, because I have no conclusive evidence of any connection to Debussy.
All works belong to Debussy.
00:00 Claude Debussy - "Mes longs cheveux descenden"t
From "Pelleas et Melisandre", Rec. 1904
00:26 Elie Robert Schmitz - "De pas sur la neige"
From "Preludes, Livre I", Rec. 1943
03:52 Marcelle Meyer - "La terrasse des audiences du claire de lune"
From "Preludes, Livre II", Rec. 1956
08:01 Daniel Ericourt - "Canope"
From "Preludes, Livre II", Rec. 1960
11:13 George Copeland - Voiles
From "Preludes Livre I", Rec. 1933
15:06 Alfred Cortot - The Snow Is Dancing
From "Children's Corner", Rec. 1947
17:39 Marguerite Long - Jardins Sous La Pluie
From "Estampes", Rec. 1929
20:40 Marcel Ciampi - Les collines d'Anacapri
From "Preludes, Livre I, Rec. 1928
23:40 Harold Bauer - Clair de Lune
From "Suite Bergamasque", Rec. 1929
28:08 Ignacy Jan Paderewski - Reflets dans l'eau
From "Images, Livre I", Rec. 1926
32:34 Guiomar Novaes - Poissons d'or
From "Images, Livre II", Rec. 1962
36:15 Ricardo Vines - La soirée dans Grenade
From "Estampes", Rec. 1929
I should mention that I obtained some music recordings from channels on YouTube. Schimitz's recording is from "Richard Masters", Long's recording is from "davidhertzberg", Ciampi's recording is from "Pianopera", Novaes recording from "Instituto Piano Brasileiro - IPB".
Claude Debussy is one of the most important pianists and composers of the 20th century. This selection shows how Debussy played the piano, how he wanted his piano works to be interpreted and I tried to explain Debussy's piano concept in the information I gave in the video. All the recordings I chose from pianists associated with Debussy.
Debussy was generally dissatisfied with the pianists playing his own works: "I assure you one cannot imagine how my music is disfigured; often I can scarcely recognize it. . . . Pianists dissect my music into bits and pieces, like a roast chicken."
Marguerite Long, one of France's most important pianists and piano pedagogues, would describe Debussy's influence on the French Piano School: "We never listened to or played the piano after Debussy in the same way as we did before him . . . He was an incomparable pianist." Jacques Durand: "A full sonority, a remarkable delicacy, a perfect mastery of nuance, an impeccable finish, an imperceptible rubato always framed within the beat, an astounding use of pedal: all this was what defined Debussy's playing."
Debussy said that he had heard only two fine pianists in his lifetime: "... my old piano teacher, a small, fat lady who threw me into Bach and who played him as no one does nowadays, making him live [...]. The second pianist was Liszt, whom I heard in Rome." Debussy was definitely influenced by Chopin and Liszt. His teacher was a student of Chopin. He gave references to Chopin throughout his life and dedicated his Etudes to Chopin. And he had heard of Liszt himself, and Liszt's use of pedals especially impressed him.
Even if the understanding of the piano came from Chopin and Liszt, there were serious innovations. First of all, Debussy did not like Bel Canto opera and Chopin's pianism had a Bel Canto influence. Debussy removed this Bel Canto and vocal influence on the piano. Secondary, Debussy had a piano approach similar to Liszt, he thought orchestral. But it was not a large orchestra like Liszt's. Debussy does not have the percussion piano understanding of Liszt. For Debussy, the piano was a stringed instrument, and the piano was not a miniature orchestra, piano had its own timbre. It was not like a reproduction instrument. He had a "knowing of limits" perspective like Chopin. Debussy removed other interactions and sought the piano's own character. The piano was not an instrument imitating songs or a miniature instrument imitating all instruments. The piano was a harp and bell-like instrument with a distinctive timbre.
There are no recordings in this selection of pianists like Moriz Rosenthal and Victor Staub, whom Debussy might have liked, because I have no conclusive evidence of any connection to Debussy.
All works belong to Debussy.
00:00 Claude Debussy - "Mes longs cheveux descenden"t
From "Pelleas et Melisandre", Rec. 1904
00:26 Elie Robert Schmitz - "De pas sur la neige"
From "Preludes, Livre I", Rec. 1943
03:52 Marcelle Meyer - "La terrasse des audiences du claire de lune"
From "Preludes, Livre II", Rec. 1956
08:01 Daniel Ericourt - "Canope"
From "Preludes, Livre II", Rec. 1960
11:13 George Copeland - Voiles
From "Preludes Livre I", Rec. 1933
15:06 Alfred Cortot - The Snow Is Dancing
From "Children's Corner", Rec. 1947
17:39 Marguerite Long - Jardins Sous La Pluie
From "Estampes", Rec. 1929
20:40 Marcel Ciampi - Les collines d'Anacapri
From "Preludes, Livre I, Rec. 1928
23:40 Harold Bauer - Clair de Lune
From "Suite Bergamasque", Rec. 1929
28:08 Ignacy Jan Paderewski - Reflets dans l'eau
From "Images, Livre I", Rec. 1926
32:34 Guiomar Novaes - Poissons d'or
From "Images, Livre II", Rec. 1962
36:15 Ricardo Vines - La soirée dans Grenade
From "Estampes", Rec. 1929
I should mention that I obtained some music recordings from channels on YouTube. Schimitz's recording is from "Richard Masters", Long's recording is from "davidhertzberg", Ciampi's recording is from "Pianopera", Novaes recording from "Instituto Piano Brasileiro - IPB".
