When I post these short birthday posts I will select a highlight from the life of that person and (hopefully) write something interesting.
For M. Claude Debussy this highlight shall be the Prix de Rome.
Prix de Rome translated from French means "Price of Rome". Begun in 1663, Le Prix was orignally created as a scholarship for art students. The winners were given several years study in Rome with all expenses paid. At the scholarship's beginning it was offered to painters and sculpters, but was expanded in time to include architects, engravers, and to our interest, musical compositon. Annually, aspiring composers from the Paris Conservatory would submit a single piece for the contest. In 1884 Claude Debussy won this coveted prize with his composition: L'Enfant Prodigue (translation: the child prodigy) at the age of 22. Other famous composers who won this prize include Hector Berlioz, Georges Bizet, and Jules Massenet. Maurice Ravel, another famous Impressionist composer contempery of Debussy, tried to win, but came in thrid place.
Some of Debussy's works include:
~Arabsques I&II
~His Etudes (I'm listening to No. 11 right now)
~La Mer
~His Nocturnes
~Prelude a l'apres-midi d'un faune (forgive my lack of accent marks)
~Suite Bergamasque
~His Violin Sonata (which I really like, especially the Allegro Viva)
Google also recognised Debussy's 151th birthday with a Doodle inspired by Clair de Lune (translation: Moonlight) from Debussey's suite Bergamasque, more specifically: the third movement.
Below is a link to a video of my favourite Debussy piece: Arabesque No. 1.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1PFa_ltF6k&feature=youtube_gdata_player/a>r
(For those who cannot play it on the piano for themselves.)
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