Claude Debussy was born in St. Germaine-en-Laye, France, on August 22, 1862, and died in Paris, France, on March 25, 1918. The first performance of La mer took place in Paris on October 15, 1905, at the Concerts Lamoureux, with Camille Chevillard conducting. La mer is scored for piccolo, two flutes, two oboes, English horn, two clarinets, three bassoons, contrabassoon, four horns, three trumpets, two cornets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, glockenspiel, tam-tam, cymbals, triangle, bass drum, two harps, and strings. Approximate performance time is twenty-three minutes.

French composer Claude Debussy once confided to fellow composer André Messager: “You perhaps do not know that I was destined for the fine life of a sailor and that it was only by chance that I was led away from it. But I still have a great passion for the sea.” This “passion” may be traced as far back as Debussy’s childhood visits to Cannes. And the composer’s fascination with the sea continued throughout his life.

It is perhaps ironic that the majority of the composition of La mer took place when Debussy was at inland locations. However, Debussy did not view this as a handicap. As he told Messager:

you’ll reply that the Atlantic doesn’t wash the foothills of Burgundy...! And that the result could be one of those hack landscapes done in the studio! But I have innumerable memories, and those, in my view, are worth more than a reality which, charming as it may be, tends to weigh too heavily on the imagination.

In fact, Debussy once admitted to a friend that he found it difficult to compose while in close proximity to the sea he loved so much.

The premiere of La mer took place in Paris on October 15, 1905, at the Concerts Lamoureux, with Camille Chevillard conducting. While critical reactions varied, most recognized the importance of La mer in the development of French musical expression. Debussy’s La mer is a magical product of the composer’s lifelong fascination with the sea and its infinite mysteries.

1. De l’aube à midi sur la mer (From Dawn until Noon on the Sea)—A slow, mysterious introduction depicts the grandeur of the sea at dawn. Soon, the sea awakens and activity increases as Debussy introduces several masterfully orchestrated rhythmic motifs. A grand concluding section, containing a chorale theme that will appear again in the finale, radiates the magnificence of the sea glistening in the noonday sun.
2. Jeux de vagues (Play of the Waves)—If the first movement of La mer serves as the equivalent of a symphony’s vibrant opening movement (with slow-tempo introduction), Jeux de vagues is the scherzo. The play of the waves is reflected in the orchestra’s quicksilver introduction and exchange of rhythmic and melodic fragments. The peaceful conclusion of the movement is in sharp contrast to the almost frenetic activity that precedes it.
3. Dialogue du vent et de la mer (Dialogue of the Wind and the Sea)—The finale begins ominously, with a roll of the timpani and terse interjections by the lower strings, answered by the woodwinds. The music gathers strength, momentum, and at times, violence. A contrasting lyrical section soon gains energy of its own. The chorale, first heard in the opening movement, heralds the climax of the finale.

program notes by Ken Meltzer