Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun

The Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune (or Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun) is a musical composition for orchestra by Claude Debussy, that was first performed in 1894. It was inspired by the poem L'après-midi d'un faune by Stéphane Mallarmé and later formed the basis for the ballet of the same name by Vaslav Nijinsky. The composition is one of Debussy's most famous works and is considered a turning point in the history of music; Pierre Boulez remarked that "one can justifiably claim that modern music began with L'après-midi d'un faune."

Related Topics:
Claude Debussy - L'après-midi d'un faune - Stéphane Mallarmé - Ballet - Vaslav Nijinsky - Pierre Boulez - Modern music

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About his composition Debussy wrote:

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:The music of this prelude is a very free illustration of Mallarmé's beautiful poem. By no means does it claim to be a synthesis of it. Rather there is a succession of scenes through which pass the desires and dreams of the faun in the heat of the afternoon. Then, tired of pursuing the timorous flight of nymphs and naiads, he succumbs to intoxicating sleep, in which he can finally realize his dreams of possession in universal Nature.

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It contains one of the most famous passages in musical modernism, the half step descent to the tritone and ascent of the flute.

Related Topics:
Half step - Tritone

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