Claude Achille Debussy

Debussy, the most talked about of all modern French composers, was born at St. Germaine-en-Laye, August 22, 1862. He was educated at the Paris Conservatoire, and on leaving the class of E. Guiraud obtained the Grand Prix de Rome in 1884 with a cantata L'Enfant Prodigue. From Rome Debussy sent a setting of Rosetti's "Blessed Damosel" for solo, female choir and orchestra, which was refused by the Section des Beaux Arts owing to its extreme modern tendencies. In spite of this rebuff, however, Debussy held to his opinions - which include the somewhat startling one that modern music should include no melody, which, he says, "is anti lyric and powerless to express constant change of emotion or of life." His greatest success so far has been "Pelleas et Melisande". This work, which is set to an adaptation of Maeterlinck's play, has created a most extraordinary amount of discussion, and was first produced in Paris, April 30, 1902. The interest it aroused in Europe was equaled on its production at the Manhattan Opera House, in New York, February 19, 1909. Debussy undoubtedly has the very highest gifts, and much may be expected of him in the future. He lives in Paris, where he is highly regarded by contemporary musicians, and his reputation as a composer is probably second only to that of Richard Strauss.