Dictionary of Music - Birding America

Delius, Frederick 105Debussy (dŒ bY sē′), Claude (klôd),1862–1918. A French composer who, as thefounder and main representative of the style calledIMPRESSIONISM, had great influence on the developmentof twentieth-century music. Debussy beganhis musical studies on the piano, for which he latercomposed some of his best works. He attended theParis Conservatory and in 1884, after severalunsuccessful attempts, won the Prix de Rome withhis cantata, L’Enfant prodigue (“The ProdigalSon”). During the next ten years his growing interestin the work of the impressionist painters and,even more, in the poetry of Paul Verlaine, PierreLouÿs, and Stéphane Mallarmé, led Debussy to acompletely new style of music, first exemplified inhis famous Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune(“Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun”), after apoem by Mallarmé. In this work Debussy tried tocreate a kind of music based on a single uninterruptedtheme rather than on shorter, more conventionalthemes or motifs (melodic figures). In suchmusic, the evocation of mood, atmosphere, andcolor are all-important. Debussy achieved quitesubtle effects by means of various technicaldevices, including careful choice of instruments fortheir particular tone colors, and the use of an Orientalfive-tone scale, the whole-tone scale, dissonantharmonies, parallel chords, and, perhaps mostimportant, unusual shifting harmonies. AmongDebussy’s notable works are the orchestral piecesNocturnes, La Mer, and Images (which includes thewell-known “Ibéria”); a string quartet; the operaPelléas et Mélisande; the ballet Jeux; more thanfifty songs; and his piano music, especially Estampes,Images, Children’s Corner, two books ofPréludes, two books of Études, and the Suitebergamasque, which contains his single mostfamous piece, “Clair de lune” (“Moonlight”).debut The first public performance of a musician.(See also PREMIÈRE.)decay In electronic music, the time it takes a signalto drop from its maximum to its minimum level.See also ATTACK, def. 2.deceptive cadenceSee under CADENCE.decibel (des′ə bel′′).See under BEL.deciso (de chē′zô) Italian. A direction to performforcefully, boldly, and with decision.decresc. Also, decr. An abbreviation forDECRESCENDO.decrescendo (de′′kre shen′dô) Italian. Also,diminuendo. A direction to perform more and moresoftly, often indicated by the sign >. (The oppositeof decrescendo is CRESCENDO.) Often abbreviateddecresc. or decr.deejayREGGAE.de FallaAlso, D.J. Short for disk jockey; see underSee FALLA, DE, MANUEL.degree A term used when referring to a note in aparticular scale or a note in relation to others in ascale (see SCALE DEGREES).dehors, en (äN də ôr′) French. A direction to performwith emphasis, so as to make a note or passagestand out.delicato (de′′lē kä′tô) Italian. A direction to performin a delicate, refined, elegant manner.Delius (dē′lē əs), Frederick, 1862–1934. AnEnglish composer whose music combines features ofboth romanticism and impressionism, as well asmaking use of native English materials. Delius’s bestworks are short pieces portraying the English countryside,such as his “On Hearing the First Cuckoo inSpring” and “The Walk to the Paradise Garden”(from his opera A Village Romeo and Juliet). He wasalso very successful in adapting various folk elementsto his music, as in Appalachia (he lived in theUnited States for a year), Brigg Fair, and NorthCountry Sketches. Also notable is his Sea Drift(1904) for baritone, chorus, and orchestra. Althoughthe forms he used were those of the romantic period,Delius employed a number of devices made popularby the impressionists (see IMPRESSIONISM), notablydissonant harmonies and the whole-tone scale.