Debussy & Pizzetti

A series exploring the links between two composers: Claude Debussy, who died a hundred years ago, and Ildebrando Pizzetti, who died 50 years ago and was a great admirer of the elder composer.

‘I first heard Pizzetti's music a long time ago, as a child. I remember being charmed by the beauty of the harmonies, the delicacy of its texture,’ writes Cédric Tiberghien, who gives three performances in this unique series. Pizzetti’s music naturally tends towards drama, with expressive melodies and choral writing born of the lilting rhythms of the Italian language.

Pizzetti’s compositions are rarely performed today, but this is the kind of music that leaves a lasting impression. Debussy also has this power – the ability to weave stories from a simple melody, with an innate elegance and lyricism. These are two composers separated by a generation, whose music makes the perfect pairing.