Estampes

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For the French commune, see Etampes, Gers.

Estampes, L.100 (Woodcuts) is an Impressionist piano solo by Claude Debussy. It was finished in 1903. The piece consists of three parts:

1. Pagodes (Pagodas) - approx. 6 minutes.
2. Soirée dans Grenade (Evening in Granada) - approx. 5½ minutes.
3. Jardins sous la pluie (Gardens in the Rain) - approx. 3 minutes.^[1]

The piece evokes images of different locations. Pagodes makes extensive use of pentatonic scales and mimics Gamelan percussion to suggest Asia.^[1]

Soirée dans Grenade uses the Arabic scale and mimics guitar strumming to evoke images of Granada, Spain. At the time of its writing, Debussy's only personal experience with the country was a few hours spent in San Sebastián^[1]. Despite this, Spanish composer Manuel de Falla said of Soirée "There is not even one measure of this music borrowed from the Spanish folklore, and yet the entire composition in its most minute details, conveys admirably Spain.^[2]"

Jardins sous la pluie describes a garden in Debussy's native France during an increasingly violent rainstorm. It makes use of the French Folk melodies Nous n'irons plus aux bois (We'll Not Return to the Woods) and Dodo, l'enfant do (Sleep, Child, Sleep)^[1]. Chromatic, whole tone, major and minor scales are used in this movement.

[edit] References

1. ^ ^{a b c d} Hinson, Maurice. Preface to Estampes by Claude Debussy. Van Nuys, CA: Alfred Publishing Co., Inc., 1993.
2. ^ Schmitz, Robert E. The Piano Works of Claude Debussy. New York: Duyell, Sloan and Pearce Publishers, 1950. pp 85-86.