Five essential works by Debussy

Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune

This seductive and sultry orchestral masterpiece quietly wrought a revolution more profound than Wagner’s Tristan.

Recommended recording:
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra/Bernard Haitink
Philips 438 7422 (2 discs)

• A guide to Debussy’s Prélude à l’aprés-midi d’un faune

Nocturnes

Three contrasting orchestral tone poems – by turns languid, lively and seductive – which impressed not only Ravel but also composers outside France.

Recommended recording:
LSO/André Previn
EMI 391 9672

• The story of Debussy’s Nocturnes

La mer

A vivid portrait of the sea in all its moods, La mer is the nearest that Debussy came to writing a symphony, with a lively scherzo (‘Play of the waves’) and a rousing finale.

Recommended recording:
Singapore SO/Lan Shui
BIS-SACD 1447

• The story of Debussy’s Jeux

Preludes Books 1 & 2

On one level a series of miniature tableaux – ranging from landscapes and atmospheres to thumbnail sketches of literary characters – these piano piece also provide a superb overview of Debussy’s range as a composer.

Recommended recording:
Jean-Yves Thibaudet
Decca 452 0222 (2 discs)

• The story of Debussy’s Préludes (1909-1913)

Pelléas et Mélisande

Debussy’s understated, almost dream-like opera about young lovers caught up in an extra-marital affair exerts an extraordinary and unforgettable spell on its listeners.

Recommended recording:
Vienna State Opera/Claudio Abbado
DG 435 3442 (2 discs)

• The story of Debussy’s Pelléas et Mélisande