La Mer (Debussy)

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La mer, trois esquisses symphoniques pour orchestre (French for The sea, three symphonic sketches for orchestra), or simply La Mer (i.e. The Sea), is an orchestral composition (opus L 109) by the French impressionist composer Claude Debussy. It was started in 1903 in France and completed in 1905 on the English Channel coast in Eastbourne. The premiere was given by the Lamoureux Orchestra under the direction of Camille Chevillard on 15 October 1905 in Paris. The piece was initially not well received, but has become one of Debussy's most frequently performed orchestral works.

1 Track listing
2 Commentary
3 Other
4 References
5 External links

[edit] Track listing

A typical performance of this piece lasts about 23 or 24 minutes. It is in three movements:

(~09:00) "De l'aube à midi sur la mer" - très lent (si mineur)
(~06:30) "Jeux de vagues" - allegro (do dièse mineur)
(~08:00) "Dialogue du vent et de la mer" - animé et tumultueux (do dièse mineur)

Usually translated as:

"From dawn to noon on the sea" or "From dawn to midday on the sea" - very slowly (B minor)
"Play of the waves" or "Play of waves" - allegro (C sharp minor)
"Dialogue of the wind and the sea" or "Dialogue between wind and waves" - animated and tumultuous (C sharp minor)

[edit] Commentary

La Mer is ostensibly a sequence of three impressions; however the work's construction is symphonic in that it consists of two powerful outer movements framing a lighter, faster piece which acts as a type of scherzo.

Today, La Mer is widely regarded as one of the greatest orchestral works of the twentieth century. It is a masterpiece of suggestion and subtlety in its rich depiction of the ocean, which combines unusual orchestration with daring impressionistic harmonies. The work has proven very influential, though it is not Debussy's most popular music.

La Mer is perhaps one of the best examples of Debussy's use of mathematical structure, namely the golden ratio. The music theorist Roy Howat has written a book entitled Debussy: in Proportion which thoroughly demonstrates the use of this ratio in La Mer and other pieces.