Ronald Thomas, Artistic Director
A celebration of
Debussy and his world One hundred and fifty years after Debussy’s birth, his music sounds so familiar to our ears that it is easy to forget how profoundly revolutionary it was. Debussy did nothing less than turn European musical tradition on its head, casting aside the old, accepted verities, replacing them with something radically new, and in doing so paving the way for the musical revolutions of the 20th century. But Debussy didn’t compose in a vacuum. As a young man he threw himself into the bohemian life of avant-garde Paris, a city awash in new ideas and movements. The poets, painters, and writers he knew had an influence on his developing vision, as did composers such as Ernest Guiraud, Cesar Franck, and especially Gabriel Fauré, who would himself have a major impact on 20th century music. Meanwhile Erik Satie and Maurice Ravel joined Debussy in ushering in a new musical age, one shaped by Debussy’s deep and pervasive influence. — Barbara Leish, Program Annotator
Large Print Programs Chestnut Hill Concerts is pleased to provide the program and program note pages in a large print format. Please ask an usher for a copy. 7