Overview

Around 1890, Debussy, who had previously composed many songs, began to focus on publishing piano miniatures. Deux Arabesques, composed around 1888 and published in 1891, is one such work from that period. The title “Arabesque” generally refers to the arabesque patterns or geometric designs found in Arabic crafts and architectural ornamentation. However, Debussy specifically associated this term with Bach's music, rephrasing it as “that principle of ‘ornamentation’ which is the basis of all modes of art”[1]. Nevertheless, the connection between the concept of arabesque and the actual musical pieces allows for various interpretations from different perspectives—melody, harmony, and rhythm—making it not easily identifiable[2]. On the other hand, the evolving melodic motifs through repetition and the lively, vibrant rhythms found in the two Arabesques certainly present characteristics common to the composer's later piano works.

Analysis of Each Piece

No. 1

E major, 4/4 time, Andantino con moto. The piece can be understood as being in ternary form. Part 1 (mm. 1-38) consists of four sections. In the first section (mm. 1-5), after a two-measure triplet melody, upper and lower voices are added from m. 3, and the main motif that unifies this piece, “A–G(sharp)–F(sharp)–E,” appears in the melody of mm. 5-6 [Musical Example 1]. Following the second section (mm. 6-16), characterized by a freely spun melody over a left-hand arpeggio, the main motif returns in the third section (mm. 17-18), which then leads into the freely singing fourth section (mm. 19-38), concluding with a perfect cadence (V-I). Part 2 (mm. 39-70) modulates to A major, where an eight-measure theme is presented with a somewhat relaxed motion (mm. 39-46). The “A–G–F(–E)” motif is used in the inner voices of the first two measures of this theme, allowing for the discovery of the piece's consistency (mm. 39-40) [Musical Example 2]. This eight-measure theme is re-presented after a transitional passage (mm. 47-55) (mm. 55-62), and then presented once more decisively in C major and f before returning to the tonic key (mm. 63-70). Part 3 (mm. 71-107) essentially recapitulates the first to third sections of Part 1 (mm. 71-88), although the main motif is added to the upper voice in the first two measures. From m. 89 onwards, the piece enters the coda via a descending transitional passage in four voices (mm. 89-94). The “A–G(sharp)–F(sharp)–E” motif is sounded with triplet ornamentation (mm. 95-99) [Musical Example 3], recalling the second section of Part 1, and the piece concludes lightly (mm. 100-107).

Musical Example 1: Arabesque No. 1, mm. 5-6

Musical Example 2: Arabesque No. 1, mm. 39-40

Musical Example 3: Arabesque No. 1, mm. 95-99

No. 2

 G major, 4/4 time, Allegretto scherzando. The overall form can be understood as a ternary form, as shown in the figure [Figure 1]. In Part 1 (mm. 1-37), following a quiet and light four-measure introduction, three types of sections appear. In sections A and A' (mm. 1-14), the right-hand passage derived from the introduction expresses a humorous quality, while in section B (mm. 15-27), a lighter character is maintained, but longer phrasing is required. Then, section C (mm. 28-37), with strong accents at the beginning of its phrases, builds up to the end of Part 1. In Part 2, the alternation of two types of sections, Na and Nb, characterized by staccato and ascending figures, increases the piece's driving force (mm. 38-57). However, at the end, the introductory motif reappears, preparing for the next section (mm. 58-61). Part 3 (mm. 62-end) begins with the recapitulation of sections A and A' (mm. 62-71). After section B appears, modulating to C major (mm. 72-81), the music transforms into a gentle, calm, and ethereal atmosphere, which can be interpreted as a development of either section A or B, creating a new progression in the piece (mm. 82-89). From m. 90, the original tempo returns, and section Nb from Part 2 is inserted. This section naturally builds tension and seamlessly joins with the lively C section, bringing the piece to a close.

Figure 1

[1] Debussy, Claude. 1996. Debussy Ongaku Ronshū (Debussy's Writings on Music). Translated by Masao Hirashima. Tokyo: Iwanami Shoten, p. 69.

[2] Bhogal, Gurminder Kaur. 2013. Details of Consequence: Ornament, Music, and Art in Paris. Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp.165-67.

[1] The musical scores cited in this commentary are as follows:

Claude Debussy. 1904. 1ère Arabesque, Paris: Durand, D. & F. 4395, accessed 2 November 2019, International Scores Music Library Project, http://conquest.imslp.info/files/imglnks/usimg/e/ef/IMSLP255353-PMLP02383-Debussy,_Claude-Deux_Arabesques_Durand_4395_scan.pdf.