'Achilles' the rascal

Donald Macleod explores Debussy’s wayward youth, as the rebellious streak he adopted from his father leads to habits which will last a lifetime.

In the music of Claude Debussy there have been said to run dangerous and destructive currents. His radical works did forge a path which would redefine music in the 20th century, but his beautiful music runs contrary to his shocking personal life. The Scottish soprano Mary Garden said of him, “I honestly don’t know if he ever loved anybody really. He loved his music – and perhaps himself.” The lies and duplicity, deception and debt left other unfortunate people in their wake, with Debussy unrepentant throughout. In the aftermath of these scandals, Debussy was disowned by his friends, and by most of Parisian society, but the notoriety he gained only seemed to heighten his appeal with audiences. Over the course of this week, Donald Macleod tracks the scandalous life of Achille-Claude Debussy and tries to reconcile his appalling behaviour with his transcendent music.

Today we find Debussy breaking all the rules at the Paris Conservatoire, where his music was decried as “bizarre, incomprehensible and unperformable.” We also follow the young Debussy as he spreads a trail of lies on his journeys across Europe. Donald tracks the rebellious streak present in Debussy’s own father, and learns how Debussy adopted a precarious financial existence, beginning a habit of borrowing money he couldn’t repay. Donald also tracks Debussy’s first real relationship of note, with an older, married woman. However, none of this scandalous behaviour stops the young composer from winning the Prix de Rome – a prize Debussy wasn’t at all pleased to win!

Suite Bergamasque – III. Claire de Lune
Samson François, piano

La Mer – II. Jeux de vagues
Philharmonia Orchestra
Pablo Heras-Casado, conductor

Ariettes Oubliee – No 5, Aquarelles I. Green
Sabine Devieilhe, soprano
Alexandre Tharaud, piano

Images for Orchestra: II. Iberia
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
Bernard Haitink, conductor

Mélodies de Jeunesse - III. Les Papillons
Sandrine Piau, soprano
Jos van Immerseel, fortepiano

Recueil Vasnier, L 53: Romance – Silence ineffable
Veronique Dietschy, soprano
Emmanuel Strosser, piano

Printemps – II. Modere
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra
Vassily Petrenko, conductor

Produced by Sam Phillips for BBC Audio Wales and West