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Home > Debussy, Claude Achille > Préludes 1 > "Les collines d'Anacapri"

Debussy, Claude Achille : Préludes 1　"Les collines d'Anacapri"

Work Overview

Music ID : 22368
Instrumentation：Piano Solo　
Genre：prelude
Total Playing Time：3 min 00 sec
Copyright：Public Domain
prelude
Piano Solo
piano solo

Commentary (1)

Author : Shiraishi, Yuriko

Last Updated: January 27, 2020
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Note: This article is automatically translated from the original Japanese text. The author of the original work did not supervise this translation.

Anacapri is the name of a town on the Italian island of Capri, but its connection to Debussy's inspiration is unclear. The piece as a whole can be understood in a three-part form. The first section begins with two main motifs: the first motif, consisting of six notes ("B-F#-C#-E-G#-B") (measures 1-2), and the second motif, resembling distant bird calls (measures 3-4) (Example 1). These motifs are repeated (measures 5-7), and a joyful melody based on the second motif is played lightly, accompanied by arpeggios (measures 8-31). Eventually, a folk-like melody derived from the first motif quietly appears in the bass, then shifts to the upper voices, building in intensity (measures 32-48). In the second section, the folk-like element is emphasized as a Habanera-like rhythm, "ta-ta-ta-TA-TA," also found in "La Puerta del Vino" (Preludes, Book 2, No. 3), is added to the melody (measures 49-62) (Example 2). However, from measure 63, the opening six-note motif slowly and quietly returns (measures 63-65), leading into the third section. Here, the staccato melody and folk-like melody reappear in a shortened form, and the piece concludes with fragmented recollections of the two opening motifs, radiating the dazzling light of Southern Europe (measures 66-96).

Example 1: Opening

 

Example 2: Habanera-like rhythm, measure 53

Writer: Shiraishi, Yuriko
Japanese