Debussy’s masterpiece. Popular classical music.

Children’s Corner No. 4: “The Snow Is Dancing”Claude Debussy

Debussy “The Snow is Dancing” Paul Barton, FEURICH HP piano

This piece evokes the pure gaze of children quietly watching snow pile up by the window.

The continuous sixteenth-note patterns intricately depict the fluttering snowflakes.

The alternating passages played with both hands are like countless snow crystals drifting down from the sky.

Composed in 1908 for the composer’s beloved three-year-old daughter, the work delicately expresses a world shaped by a child’s rich imagination.

Through the contrast of staccato and legato, as well as nuanced pedal work, one can sense both the hush of falling snow and the life concealed within it.

It is a recommended piece for those wishing to become familiar with classical music or to step away from daily life and spend a moment in quiet serenity.

Video, Episode 2: “And Then the Moon Falls on the Abandoned Temple”Claude Debussy

From Images, Book II: “Et la lune descend sur le temple qui fut” (Debussy) — And the moon descends on the temple that was

This piece delicately portrays a mystical scene of an ancient temple bathed in moonlight through the use of the whole-tone scale and an Eastern pentatonic scale.

Composed by Claude Debussy in 1907 for piano, it exudes a serene, meditative atmosphere.

Within an unhurried flow of time, the moonlight pouring over a ruined temple is expressed through subtle harmonic resonances and fluid rhythms.

The work features relatively simple harmonic progressions, and with attention to pedal technique, it is approachable even for those who have only recently begun studying the piano.

It is a piece that invites you to experience an exotic musical world unique to Debussy, who had a profound interest in Eastern cultures—please try performing it.

Dance of PuckClaude Debussy

Debussy / Préludes, Book I — No. 11: The Dance of Puck / Performed by Yurino Izumi

Puck is the name of a fairy.

He often appears in various old tales.

He’s portrayed as a mischievous little elf, and he also appears as a small fairy boy in Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

His playful air and nimble movements express the nature of a fairy.

Little Suite “Procession”Claude Debussy

Petite Suite II. Procession

I’m not sure what the line is for, but there’s a crowd and it looks like a queue has formed—it’s the kind of uplifting tune that makes you feel excited without even meaning to.

The delicate melodies played by the strings add a nice touch.

It’s a charming, cute-sounding piece.

Ondine (water spirit)Claude Debussy

Debussy, Ondine — Sergey Kuznetsov

A little while ago, the Shiki Theatre Company staged a production called “Ondine,” and it seems to be a relatively popular name for a water spirit.

This Ondine is depicted as a lovely water fairy in some stories, while in old tales she appears as a seductive agent of darkness.

Debussy’s “Ondine” possesses a mysterious allure.

“Golliwog’s Cakewalk” from “Children’s Corner”Claude Debussy

Debussy plays Debussy: Golliwogg’s Cakewalk (1913)

A piece composed for his daughter, Claude “Chouchou” Emma, who was three years old at the time.

It was not intended to be performed by children, but rather composed for adults to indulge in a childlike mood.

“Golliwogg” is the name of a Black boy doll that appears in Florence Upton’s picture books.

The cakewalk is a type of Black dance.

This piece is one of the most popular works in “Children’s Corner.”

Two ArabesquesClaude Debussy

Debussy / Two Arabesques No. 1 / Performed by Ichiro Kaneko

It is a piano piece composed by the French composer Claude Debussy and is considered one of his signature works.

The piece consists of two movements and follows the ternary form typical of Romantic music.

It is a well-known masterpiece, widely recognized by the general public because it is used in anime and manga, among other media.