Abstract
As the creator and leader of French Impressionist music, Debussy’s music had a great influence in 20th century. Debussy, who would not like to be bound to obey the rules, was hardly persuaded to the traditional music theory and forms. He was convinced that “there is no theory. You have only to listen. Pleasure is law.”
Out of his works, the cello sonata was finished in 1915, his last year. Due to the outbreak of World WarⅡin 1914 and his suffering from cancer, Debussy had to confront with both internal and external stress. His philosophy of life, even the philosophy of music changed. However, even in such an all time low of life, he had a beau ideal in these works. He said “I have begun again to write a little music, mostly so as not to forget it completely, very little for my own satisfaction…. It seems to me there is an opportunity of reverting, not to a too narrow and contemporary French tradition, but to the real true one which one can place immediately after Rameau – just when it was beginning to be lost!” His expectancy and effort uplifted the character and value of the work.
On the design of the sonata, Debussy used “sonata form” and tried to emphasize the excellent French heritage, such as Rameau and Couprin’s music of the 17th century. However, he also took his compositional materials from other sources. For example, we can feel the Italian theater “Pierrot fachê avec la lune” in this sonata dramatically.
In compositional technique, we find not only magnificent effects and colors, but also the logical construction and its profound expression. Compared with the music theory of Arnold Schoenberg, we can feel more animation and fantasy in Debussy’s music. On the other hand, different from the heavy texture of German tradition, we can feel more elegant and simple impression in his work.
Experiencing the change of life and age, alternation of generations, Debussy recorded the story of world by music. We can realize what he saw, what he heard and what he suffered from in his compositions. Even we can’t go back to the age that Debussy was. The music works give us the best record. In this sonata, the composer combined traditions with the new inventions in music. That is why the players always feel the music is so hard to interpret even while many indications and marks are found in the scores. This article is about an interpretation, based on the findings after analyzing the compositional materials and structure of the work. It is also an attempt to understand the music though perceiving Debussy’s reworking on the many traditions of the past, as well as the innovation of that time.