Debussy, Prelude to "The Afternoon of a Faun"

Orchestral Tone Poem (1894)

Strings, two harps, flute, oboes, Eng. horn, clarinets, French horns, antique cymbals

This is probably Debussy's best-known orchestral work. It was inspired by a pastoral of Stephane Mallarme, evoking a pagan landscape in which the faun--a mythological creature of the forest who is half man, half goat--awakes in the woods and tries to remember: Was he visited by three lovely nymphs or was this but a dream? He will never know. The sun is warm, the earth fragrant. He curls himself up and falls into a wine-drugged sleep.

Part I

Time

Form

Description

(a)

Flute solo, velvety low register. Chromatic scale. Melody passes from one instrument to another, accompanied by muted strings; vague beat or pulse. Languorous. Glissandos on the harp, brief dialogue of the horns.

(a1)

Same motive, takes more colorful direction with full orchestra; rich, dissonant harmonies, leads subtly into:

(a2)

Flute motive again; accompanied by harps and strings

(a3)

Flute motive; more embellished, florid.

Transition:

Motives derived from (a) passed between flute and clarinet. Increased variety of colors from orchestra; new motive (beginning with rapid repeated note) appears in cello.

(b)

New theme in oboe, continued by first violins. Motive from this theme is repeated, passed between oboe and violin, crescendo to a forte then quickly piano. Marked "En animant" (animated).

Transition

Brief transition.

Part II Meme mouvt et tres soutenu (same tempo & very sustained)

(c)

Contrasting, sustained theme in woodwinds, then strings, accompanied by syncopated rhythms

(c1)

Theme in violins, full orchestra, crescendo to FF.

(c2)

Theme in solo violin, accomp. by horns and clarinet, very soft.

Part I returns, Mouvt du Debut (tempo of the beginning)

(a4)

Yet another version of (a): flute with harp and strings

Transition

Transition: development of (a)

(a5)

Oboe with the theme in longer note values, harp & strings

Coda

(a) is heard in two more versions, with fragments of (b). Concludes with muted horns, antique cymbals, "infinitely remote." Purposely vague, ambiguous closing.

Opening of poem:

These nymphs I would perpetuate. a whole forest they prove, alas, that since I am

So light alone,

their gossamer embodiment, floating on the air my fancied triumph was but the ideal

inert with heavy slumber. imperfection of roses

Was it a dream I loved? let us reflect ... or suppose those women that

My doubting harvest of the begone night, you idolize

concludes were but imaginings of your fantastic lust!

in countless tiny branches; together remaining