Debussy and Beyond

Three iconic works inspired by Debussy – his best-loved work for orchestra and a world premiere – form the finale of our Debussy centenary celebration

Béla Bartók once remarked that ‘Debussy’s great service to music was to awaken among all musicians an awareness of harmony and its possibilities.’ Nowhere is this quite as evident as in La mer, a work that was deeply controversial with its unpredictable harmony and shimmering, atmospheric textures.

Much like Debussy’s music, Bartók’s Second Violin Concerto ebbs and flows in a whirlwind of melodies; Stravinsky’s Chant du rossignol paints portraits of the orient; Boulez’s radical Livre pour cordes defies predictability. And Ewan Campbell’s new work inspired by the composer testifies that, even 100 years after his death, Debussy is still one of the great geniuses of modern music.