'Claude' the bohemian
Donald Macleod finds Debussy adopting a bohemian lifestyle. A romantic encounter seems set to lend some stability to his life... until Debussy makes a shock announcement.
Donald Macleod explores as Debussy adopts a bohemian lifestyle. A romantic encounter seems set to lend some stability to his life... until Debussy makes a shock announcement.
In the music of Claude Debussy there have been said to run dangerous and destructive currents. His radical works did forge a path which would redefine music in the 20th century, but his beautiful music runs contrary to his shocking personal life. The Scottish soprano Mary Garden said of him, “I honestly don’t know if he ever loved anybody really. He loved his music – and perhaps himself.” The lies and duplicity, deception and debt left other unfortunate people in their wake, with Debussy unrepentant throughout. In the aftermath of these scandals, Debussy was disowned by his friends, and by most of Parisian society, but the notoriety he gained only seemed to heighten his appeal with audiences. Over the course of this week, Donald Macleod tracks the scandalous life of Achille-Claude Debussy and tries to reconcile his appalling behaviour with his transcendent music.
In Tuesday’s episode, Donald finds Debussy adopting a bohemian lifestyle in the French capital, frequenting Parisian cafes and mixing with some of the city’s most controversial artists. However this lifestyle only makes his financial situation worse. Against all odds, a romantic encounter seems set to lend some stability to his life… until Debussy makes a shock announcement...
Danse bohemienne
Noriko Ogawa, piano
Deux Arabesques
Jean-Efflam Bavouzet, piano
Rodrigue et Chimene (excerpt) (arr. Smith & orch. Denisov)
Laurence Dale, tenor (Rodrigue)
Donna Brown, soprano (Chimene)
Orchestre de l'Opéra de Lyon
Kent Nagano, conductor
La damoiselle élue – Chorus: La damoiselle élue s’appuyait
London Symphony Orchestra & Chorus
Claudio Abbado, conductor
Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune
Royal Scottish National Orchestra
Stéphane Denève, conductor
Proses Lyriques – III. De fleurs
Christine Schafer, soprano
Irwin Gage, piano
Produced by Sam Phillips for BBC Audio Wales and West
Last on
Music Played
-
![]()
Claude Debussy
Danse bohemienne
Performer: Noriko Ogawa.- BIS : BISCD-199556.
- BIS.
- 13.
-
![]()
Claude Debussy
Deux Arabesques
Performer: Jean-Efflam Bavouzet.- CHANDOS : CHAN10-467.
- CHANDOS.
- 7.
-
![]()
Claude Debussy
Rodrigue et Chimene (excerpt)
Singer: Donna Brown. Singer: Laurence Dale. Choir: Lyon Opera Chorus. Orchestra: Lyon Opera Orchestra. Conductor: Kent Nagano.- ERATO : 4509-98508-2.
- ERATO.
- 3.
-
![]()
Claude Debussy
La damoiselle elue (Chorus: La damoiselle élue s'appuyait)
Orchestra: London Symphony Orchestra. Choir: London Symphony Chorus. Conductor: Claudio Abbado.- DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON : 4794542.
- DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON.
- 2.
-
![]()
Claude Debussy
Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune
Orchestra: Royal Scottish National Orchestra. Conductor: Stéphane Denève.- CHANDOS : CHSA-5102.
- CHANDOS.
- 4.
-
![]()
Claude Debussy
Proses Lyriques (No 3, De fleurs)
Performer: Irwin Gage. Singer: Christine Schäfer.- DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON : 459-682 2.
- DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON.
- 12.
Broadcast
- Tue 30 Apr 2024 16:00BBC Radio 3
Vaughan Williams Today
Programmes, concerts and features celebrating Vaughan Williams's 150th anniversary.
Beethoven Unleashed – the box set
The complete set of Radio 3 Beethoven Unleashed podcasts, with Donald Macleod.
What was really wrong with Beethoven?
Georgia Mann and neurosurgeon Henry Marsh examine the composer's numerous health problems
Composers A to Z
Visit the extensive audio archive of Radio 3 programmes about Composers and their works.
Who knew? Five eye-opening stories from Composer of the Week
The production team reflects on 5 of Donald Macleod’s best stories from the last 20 years
Five reasons why we love Parry's Jerusalem
What is the strange power of Jerusalem which makes strong men weep?
A man out of time – why Parry's music and ideas were at odds with his image...
The composer of Jerusalem was very far from the conservative figure his image suggests.
Composer Help Page
Find resources and contacts for composers from within the classical music industry.