Clair de Lune

Clair de Lune (Clair de Lune, the third and most famous movement from Debussys Suite Bergamasque, is now available for Trumpet with piano accompaniment. Composed in 1890 when Debussy was 28 years old, this masterpiece was not published until 1903. Clair de Lune has been featured in films, commercials, and television shows for decades. It has most recently experienced a revival in popular movies such as Oceans Eleven & Twilight. Originally written for piano, this challenging classic is arranged for Trumpet, Clarinet, Alto Sax, Trombone, Flute or Violin with piano accompaniment. This intermediate Trumpet solo is meant to impress. It is ideal for recitals, auditions and concert performances. It is widely believed that Debussy was inspired by the Paul Verlaines poem of the same name. The quiet, rolling melody and fantastical nature of the mood it evokes speaks to the dream-like landscape that Verlaine references—a landscape where costumed figures dance and play in the moonlight. VERLAINES POEM Clair de Lune by Paul Verlaine (1844 - 1896) Votre âme est un paysage choisi, Que vont charmant masques et bergamasques, Jouant du luth et dansant et quasi, Tristes sous leurs déguisements fantasques. Tout en chantant sur le mode mineur, Lamour vainqueur et la vie opportune, Ils nont pas lair de croire à leur bonheur, Et leur chanson se mêle au clair de lune, Au calme clair de lune triste et beau, Qui fait rêver les oiseaux dans les arbres, Et sangloter dextase les jets deau, Les grands jets deau sveltes parmi les marbres. Clair de Lune by Paul Verlaine Translation Your soul is a chosen landscape, Where charming masked and costumed figures go, Playing lute and dancing and almost, Sad beneath their fantastic disguises. All sing in a minor key, Of all-conquering love and careless fortune, They do not seem to believe in their happiness, And their song mingles with the moonlight. The still moonlight, sad and beautiful, Which gives the birds to dream in the trees, And makes the fountain sprays sob in ecstasy, The tall, slender fountain sprays among the marble statues. Claude Debussy was born in St. Germain-en-Laye, France, on August 22, 1862. He died in Paris on March 25, 1918. Debussy is often regarded as the creator of musical impressionism although he denied being described as such. However, it is undeniable that after his early regard for Wagner vanished, he came under the influence of Mallarme, Verlains, etc., and coloring became more important to him than form. Debussys use of the pentatonic and whole-tone scales as well as consecutive intervals of various kinds lent his music an uncommon coloring. Some feel his style lends itself to imitation, thereby halting any further developments. This sentiment is not entirely true. Successful composers like Ravel, Bartok and Stravinsky have all found inspiration in Debussys pieces. Instead of halting any further developments in Impressionism, these composers used Debussys works to develop musical styles such as Neo-Classicism, Expressionism, Serial Music, etc.)