The Young Debussy

François-Xavier Roth gives the UK premiere of a previously-lost work by the young Debussy, alongside the composer’s earliest inspirations.

The evocative music of Claude Debussy has been described as the foundation of modern music. But how did the composer come to develop his unique style?

Debussy’s newly-discovered Premiere Suite gives a rare insight into just that – the mind of a young composer on the cusp of innovation. It’s a work filled with Romantic and Eastern influences, with glimpses of the unexpected harmonies that came to define Debussy’s work. Paired alongside the composer’s role models, from Wagner’s powerful intertwining motifs, the abundant Spanish influences in Lalo’s rarely-heard Cello Concerto, and Massenet’s majestic Le Cid, François-Xavier Roth gives a fresh perspective on the much-loved composer in the year that marks 100 years since his death.