These orchestral arrangements of Debussy’s 24 preludes for piano were written over a period of five years following a commission from Mark Elder and the Hallé. It has been fascinating to find ways of transcribing textures which are at first sight wholly pianistic into orchestral music which, I hope, would be just as difficult to translate back to the piano.
See also Postlude: M.Croche.
Book One (Debussy’s ordering in brackets)
1 Brouillards (Book 2 No. 1)
2 Ce qu’a vu le vent d’Ouest (Book 1 No. 7)
3 Minstrels (Book 1 No. 12)
4 Canope (Book 2 No. 10)
5 Les sons et les parfums tournent dans l’air du soir (Book 1 No. 4)
6 La puerta del Vino (Book 2 No. 3)
7 Général Lavine – excentric (Book 2 No. 6)
8 Feuilles mortes (Book 2 No. 2)
9 Les tierces alternées (Book 2 No. 11)
10 La danse de Puck (Book 1 No. 11)
11 Le vent dans la plaine (Book 1 No. 3)
12 La fille aux cheveux de lin (Book 1 No. 8)
Book Two
1 Danseuses de Delphes (Book 1 No. 1)
2 La sérénade interrompue (Book 1 No. 9)
3 Des pas sur la neige (Book 1 No. 6)
4 ‘Les fées sont d’exquises danseuses’ (Book 2 No. 4)
5 Voiles (Book 1 No. 2)
6 Hommage à S. Pickwick, Esq., P.P.M.P.C. (Book 2 No. 9)
7 La terrasse des audiences du clair de lune (Book 2 No. 7)
8 Bruyères (Book 2 No. 5)
9 Ondine (Book 2 No. 8)
10 Les collines d’Anacapri (Book 1 No. 5)
11 Feux d’artifice (Book 2 No. 12)
12 La cathédrale engloutie (Book 1 No. 10)
Categories: Arrangements and orchestrations, Orchestra