We are overjoyed to present to you our next concert series, On the Same Page, with concerts beginning on November 24th. Before we begin our concerts, join us for some extra insight into our program!
Clair de Lune & French Impressionism
The theme of our program is composers who were inspired by the same texts. We decided to begin this exploration from a familiar point: Clair de Lune by Claude Debussy. I'm sure that many of of you have heard Clair de Lune as it is one of the most popular pieces of classical music of all time!
Clair de Lune (Moonlight) is an exemplary piece of impressionist music. Impressionism was a style mostly used by French composers in the early 19th century and features an interplay of different timbres and sounds to evoke specific scenes or feelings. The term "impressionist" is also in reference to the artistic movement that was popular at the same time.
(From left to right: Picture of the Japanese Bridge taken by me summer 2024 : ), Claude Monet, The Water Lily Pond (1899), Claude Monet, Le Pont Japonais (1918-1024)
As you can see, the goal style of impressionism wasn't to capture all the details of reality but to capture an essence of the scene. Like the composers, the visual artists were mostly concerned with the way the light and colors interacted with each other rather than creating an exact replica of reality.
For further listening...
Listen to the first movement of Ravel's String Quartet in F major performed by Quatuor Ebène. This is one of my favorite pieces of all time. Listen for the way the two violins pass different melodic lines between each other and the textures that the lowers strings create beneath them. Despite being in a strict sonata form, the movement surveys many different moods and colors. One thing the composer Ravel was known for was his ability to draw out extremely different sounds from the instruments compared to the music that had been written before his time.
Want to hear it in person?
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Our general admission sale is currently underway for our next concert series in San Francisco. You can now reserve a seat at any of our upcoming concerts for as little as $5*!
See you soon!!
Leah
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