Though ostensibly children's pieces, the miniatures
that make up Children's Corner are not meant for
children to play; rather they are meant to evoke the
mood and essence of childhood, and the fantasies of
youth. The titles, all of them in English, reflect not
only the rampant anglophilia in Paris at the time of
composition (and Debussy's own affection for England),
but also Chou-Chou's relationship with her English
nanny, who helped to choose them. The set, as a whole,
captures the particular c...(+)
Though ostensibly children's pieces, the miniatures
that make up Children's Corner are not meant for
children to play; rather they are meant to evoke the
mood and essence of childhood, and the fantasies of
youth. The titles, all of them in English, reflect not
only the rampant anglophilia in Paris at the time of
composition (and Debussy's own affection for England),
but also Chou-Chou's relationship with her English
nanny, who helped to choose them. The set, as a whole,
captures the particular charm of Debussy's piano music,
in spirit if not in style. It possesses great humor and
lightness, real beauty, and deceptive technical
difficulties.
The first movement, "Doctor Gradus ad Parnassum," is a
light-hearted reference to Muzio Clementi's well-known
piano exercises, Gradus ad Parnassum, published in
1817. It parodies a child performing these exercises,
initially tearing through the bright, fast passages and
eventually becoming distracted, bored, and finally
slamming down the final cadence with relief. This
movement looks forward to Debussy's later Études, in
which he lampoons the five-finger exercises of Carl
Czerny.
The Children's Corner suite is certainly not
characteristic of Debussy's ephemeral style -- which by
now had fully developed impressionistic qualities --
however, it is a delightful work, and it showcases
Debussy's ability to create unique tonal colors.
Although this piece was originally written for Piano, I
Transcribed it for Concert (Pedal) Harp.
SHEET MUSIC