The Six épigraphes antiques represent a cross-section of Debussy's creative output that traces the composer's germ-seed from his original setting of the work in 1901 as incidental music to accompany the recitation of several poems, to the four-hand piano version of 1914, and its consequent reduction for solo piano. What can be gleaned by the methods of derivation from his original sketches to the final, mature works is an understanding of Debussy's use of musical metaphor and his connection to the poetry - the Chansons de Bilitis of Pierre Louÿs. Embedded literary procedures create a new musical expression of the work whereby text and music become integrated. Rather than serving as accompaniment to the poems, the Épigraphes function as the primary vessel for the conveyance of these ancient scenes. Several of Debussy's hallmark symmetrical and structural moulds, such as the whole-tone, chromatic, octatonic, and mirroring techniques reflect the omnipresent symmetry of Classical Greece. Various other artistic creations emanated from the Épigraphes, most significantly the orchestration of Ernest Ansermet in 1939. A look at the techniques used by Ansermet for the augmentation of the piano work serves to extrapolate the multifarious layers relevant in performance. In order to facilitate the four-hand version for solo piano, Debussy used a variety of reductive methods. There are, however, means by which some of the extracted material might be restored to the solo version. Like the late work of many great masters, the Épigraphes are redolent of the tendency so many artists have near the end of their days - to revert back to the purest techniques of their language. The scoring of Debussy's Épigraphes is scaled back, compared to his Préludes (often consisting of three staves of notation), and incorporates leaner textures generated from lapidary motifs which transmit the antique realms evoked by the poetry of Louÿs.

Detta arbete handlar om Debussys sångsamling Cinq poèmes de Baudelaire; musik skriven i en omtumlande period då Debussy anammar det bohemiska pariserlivet. Han ville med detta verk glänsa med sin kompositionsteknik. Arbetet inkluderar en reflektion över sångernas uppbyggnad samt vad som inspirerat dessa; det utforskar även samtiden gällande kompositionen av sångerna. I studien användes François Lesures biografi Claude Debussy: A Critical Biography (2003) samt annan relevant litteratur. Under arbetets gång var syftet att leda fascinationen av verket till en förståelse och klarhet över dess plats i musikhistorien. Cinq poèmes de Baudelaire är sånger som kräver flera genomlyssningar för att begripa. Av denna anledning finns det en problematik i framförandet av sångerna som har varit värdefull att utforska. Framtida utövare av Debussys romansmusik kan få nytta av denna studie. Genom att följa processen, kan såväl pianister som sångare, finna inspiration till sin egen interpretation. / <p>Repertoar, inspelning finns bifogat:</p><p>Claude Debussy - Cinq Poèmes de Charles Baudelaire:</p><p>I. Le Balcon, II. Harmonie du Soir, III. Le Jet d’Eau, IV. Recueillement, V. La Mort des Amants </p><p>Eleonora Poignant - sopran</p><p>Mathilda Sidén Silvfer - mezzo-sopran</p><p>Astrid Banck Linderoth - sopran</p><p></p><p> </p>

Claude Debussy was the first composer to be described as an impressionist. Impressionistic artists and writers around fin de siècle were pioneers in their fields, creating new colours and describing light in new and inventive ways. Scientists were equally amazed with water and light and tried their best to describe it in a theoretical manner. Water and light are strong symbols in art and is the basis for all life. The purpose of this thesis is to dive deep into Debussy’s piano piece Reflets dans l’eau, in order to gain a better understanding of the musical language and style, in relation to impressionism. Reflets dans l’eau is one of the most significant pieces in the piano literature. Methodologically, articles and books were used to gain a better understanding of the subject, as well as interviews with two piano professors, that both have studied the piece in detail. Music analysis on the form of the piece and its motives were conducted. The results of the thesis indicate that Debussy in the most extraordinary way describes the law of nature and musically reflects on water and light in his magnificent piano piece, Reflets dans l’eau. It is ‘narcissistic’ in the way that it mirrors its own motives. / <p>Examination concert:</p><p>J. S. Bach - från Engelsk Suite no. 2 i a-moll: I. Preludium </p><p>L. V. Beethoven - Piano sonata op. 90, e-moll, no. 27: I. Mit Lebhaftigkeit und durchaus mit Empfindung und Ausdruck, II. Nicht zu geschwind und sehr singbar vorgetragen </p><p>C. Debussy, Images, bok 1: I. Reflets dans l’eau, II. Hommage a Rameau, III. Mouvement</p><p>S. Rachmaninoff Etyd, op. 39, no. 8 i d-moll </p><p>Tómas R. Einarsson, Hjarta mitt, performed with Johan Tengholm (double bass)</p>

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