How to Play Debussy's Clair de Lune. Full Piano Tutorial Lesson, Interpretation and Analysis

A full masterclass piano lesson on Debussy's Clair de lune. This is accessible for players of all levels and will enhance the understanding and playing of the music.
I was lucky enough to be immersed in the world of Debussy from a very young age initially with lessons from Ruth Nye (a long time student of Arrau) and her lifelong mentee Sally Mellor; and later extensively with Professor Yu Chun Yee (whose teacher line extends to Chopin).
Included - Background info, incredible words from Debussy on playing the piece, full lesson with demos, explanations, interpretation, etc
#pianolesson #pianotutorial #clairdelunepianotutorial #clairdelune #classicalpiano #pianolessons
0:00 essential background information
4:39 What Debussy told a student in a lesson on clair de lune
5:57 Lesson starts
As promised here are poems and link to the Clair de lune song    • Soprano Pretty Yende Sings Debussy's ...  

Clair de lune (Paul Verliane)

Votre âme est un paysage choisi
Que vont charmant masques et bergamasques
Jouant du luth et dansant et quasi
Tristes sous leurs déguisements fantasques.

Tout en chantant sur le mode mineur
L'amour vainqueur et la vie opportune,
Ils n'ont pas l'air de croire à leur bonheur
Et leur chanson se mêle au clair de lune,

Au calme clair de lune triste et beau,
Qui fait rêver les oiseaux dans les arbres
Et sangloter d'extase les jets d'eau,
Les grands jets d'eau sveltes parmi les marbres.

Moonlight

Your soul is a select landscape
Where charming masqueraders and bergamaskers go
Playing the lute and dancing and almost
Sad beneath their fantastic disguises.

All sing in a minor key
Of victorious love and the opportune life,
They do not seem to believe in their happiness
And their song mingles with the moonlight,

With the still moonlight, sad and beautiful,
That sets the birds dreaming in the trees
And the fountains sobbing in ecstasy,
The tall slender fountains among marble statues.

Promenade sentimentale / Sentimental Stroll

Le couchant dardait ses rayons suprêmes
Et le vent berçait les nénuphars blêmes;
Les grands nénuphars entre les roseaux,
Tristement luisaient sur les calmes eaux.
Moi j'errais tout seul, promenant ma plaie
Au long de l'étang, parmi la saulaie
Où la brume vague évoquait un grand
Fantôme laiteux se désespérant
Et pleurant avec la voix des sarcelles
Qui se rappelaient en battant des ailes
Parmi la saulaie où j'errais tout seul
Promenant ma plaie; et l'épais linceul
Des ténèbres vint noyer les suprêmes
Rayons du couchant dans ses ondes blêmes
Et des nénuphars, parmi les roseaux,
Des grands nénuphars sur les calmes eaux.

The setting sun cast its final rays
And the breeze rocked the pale water lilies;
Among the reeds, the huge water
Lilies shone sadly on the calm water.
Me, I wandered alone, walking my wound
Through the willow grove, the length of the pond
Where the vague mist conjured up some vast
Despairing milky ghost
With the voice of teals crying
As they called to each other, beating their wings
Through the willow grove where alone I wandered
Walking my wound; and the thick shroud
Of shadows came to drown the final rays
Of the setting sun in their pale waves
And, among the reeds, the water-
Lilies, the huge water lilies on the calm water.



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