Prelude a l'apres midi d'un faune Flashcards
genre
symphonic poem
background
symphonic poem based on a pastoral poem by Mallarme.
- exhibits musical characteristics heralding the 20th century
- vividly demonstrates his luminous, subtle style
- sought to suggest rather than depict like impressionist painters. : instrumental lines are frequently muted, like the soft edges in an impressionist painting, he uses a large orchestra for color rather than power, creates a floating, suspended quality by minimizing strong rhythms through the use of ties and parallel writing1
composition
1894
source of inspiration
a symbolist poem (pastoral) by Stephane Mallarme
form
loose ternary structure (aba1)
performing forces
strings, violins, violas, cellos, double bases, harps, woodwinds, flutes, oboes, English horn, clarinets, brass, French horns, percussion, antique cymblas
key signature
begins and ends in four sharps
meter
beings in 9/8
tempo
tres modere
subject
describes a faun, a mythological character of the forest who is half man, half goat. he is visited by three lovely nymphs (or perhaps he imagines the encounter). The hazy, dreamy quality of the poem is captured in Debussys sensuous music. The overall structure creates a statement departure return sequence familiar from earlier eras. flexibility of form contributes to the spontaneous, rhapsodic character.