Sensual instrumentation, subtle rhythms, flowing moods – with “La Mer”, his “three symphonic sketches”, Claude Debussy created a key work of musical impressionism.

Debussy’s autograph score served for the engraving of the first edition. Additional entries in a different hand (accidentals, performance instructions, notes for the layout) reflect this work step. At the same time, Debussy himself made corrections, once by pasting in a piece of paper, which is reproduced in the facsimile according to the original.

Renowned Debussy scholar Denis Herlin explains the history of the work’s genesis and the special features of the autograph. Mathias Auclair, head of the music department of the Bibliothèque nationale de France, presents the manuscript as part of the BnF collection.

Facsimile: La Mer. Trois esquisses symphoniques
·
I. De l'aube à midi sur la mer
II. Jeux de vagues
III. Dialogue du vent et de la mer
·
Commentary by Denis Herlin
- An orchestral masterpiece "as tumultuous and varied as ... the sea itself"
- Background and genesis
- Titles
- The autograph manuscript of the orchestration
- Notes
·
Commentary by Mathias Auclair
- Claude Debussy's Autograph Manuscripts of Music in the Collections of the//Bibliothèque nationale de France
- A few historical milestones
- Manuscript typology
- Notes

Commentaire de Denis Herlin >
- Un chef d'œuvre orchestral "tumultueux et varié comme la... mer"
- Contexte et genèse
- Titres
- Le manuscrit autographe de l'orchestration
- Notes
·
Commentaire de Mathias Auclair
- Les manuscrits musicaux autographes de Claude Debussy dans les collections de la//Bibliothèque nationale de France
- Quelques jalons de l'histoire
- Typologie des manuscrits
- Notes

Kommentar von Denis Herlin
- Ein Meisterwerk für Orchester, "stürmisch und vielfältig wie das ... Meer"
- Umfeld und Entstehung
- Die Titel
- Das Orchester-Autograph
- Anmerkungen

Kommentar von Mathias Auclair
- Claude Debussys Musikhandschriften in den Sammlungen der Bibliothèque nationale//de France
- Meilensteine der Sammlungsgeschichte
- Typologie der Manuskripte
- Notes