{"product_id":"debussys-paris-9781442269828","title":"Debussys Paris","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eClaude Debussy's exquisite piano works have captivated generations with their dreamlike atmosphere and mysterious soundscapes.Written in Paris at the height of the Belle Époque, the music creates a soundtrack for Parisians' enjoyment of such delights as clowns, mermaids, eccentric dances, and the dark tales of Edgar Allan Poe. Debussy's Paris: Piano Portraits of the Belle Époque explores how key works reflect not only the most appealing and innocent aspects of Paris but also more disquieting attitudes of the time such as racism, colonial domination, and nationalistic hostility. Debussy left no avenue unexplored, and his piano works present a sweeping overview of the passions, vices, and obsessions of the era. Pianist Catherine Kautsky reveals little-known elements of Parisian culture and weaves the music, the man, the city, and the era into an indissoluble whole. Her portrait will delight anyone who has ever been entranced by Debussy's music or the city that inspired it.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn this fascinating fusion of music, literature, and social history, Kautsky, a pianist and piano professor, transports us to the milieu of a composer whose music captured the spirit of the times. Her purpose, she writes, isn't to ‘to provide a lengthy biography of Claude Debussy but rather to view him through the lens of his piano music and the city he so fully embraced.’ Debussy, ‘the dreamy French composer par excellence,’ counted among his acquaintances luminaries of the worlds of art (Degas, Gauguin, Rodin); literature (Proust, Mallarmé, Colette); and dance (Nijinsky, Diaghilev, Loie Fuller). Setting a number of his compositions in the context of the times, Kautsky explores a glittering world of music, dance, art, and poetry as well as its less appealing underside of racist minstrel shows, colonization, and nationalism. Her graceful and erudite prose is embellished with period illustrations and bolstered by a carefully selected bibliography. Kautsky has also recorded the complete Debussy Preludes (Centaur, 2014), a work that figures prominently in these pages. A treat for music lovers, Francophiles, and anyone who appreciates the arts. * Booklist *\u003cbr\u003eCatherine Kautsky has written a wonderful book, a kind of total immersion in the Debussyan magic, and in the endless fascination of fin-de-siècle Paris. The writing fizzes with the excitement of connecting the countless different strands of the composer's artistic influences and inspirations. Musicians will particularly appreciate the masterly survey of the piano works, and all readers will enjoy the extraordinary cast of characters, from Poe and Baudelaire to half-forgotten clowns of the circus and music hall. I was entranced and delighted throughout. -- Richard Goode, Grammy Award–winning concert pianist and teacher\u003cbr\u003eDebussy's Paris presents a unique and panoramic view of this remarkably rich time in the history of both music and a changing world.  It will delight both musicians and non-musicians alike. -- Gilbert Kalish, pianist, distinguished professor at Stony Brook University and artist member of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center\u003cbr\u003eWith her exceptional gift for bringing to vivid life the context of this great composer's work, Ms. Kautsky succeeds brilliantly in offering new and arresting perspectives regarding Debussy, Paris, and the extraordinary world that defined them. -- Robert McDonald, award-winning concert pianist and professor, the Juilliard School and Curtis Institute of Music\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTable of Contents\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCh. 1: Pierrot Conquers Paris   Ch. 2. Poets, Clowns, and Circus Daredevils   Ch. 3. Dance Steps out of Line   Ch. 4. The Cakewalk Wars  Ch. 5. A Taste for the Orient  Ch. 6. Asia on a Pedestal  Ch. 7 Child’s Play and Make Believe  Ch. 8. Fairies and Fairy Tales   Ch. 9.  Crossovers on Land and at Sea  Ch. 10. The Floating World   Ch. 11. Fair-haired Maidens   Ch. 12. Edgar Allan Poe’s “Imp of the Perverse”   Ch. 13 The Sounds of Nationalism  Afterword: In Conversation with Baudelaire and Proust","brand":"Rowman \u0026 Littlefield","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51039990645079,"sku":"9781442269828","price":35.1,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9781442269828.jpg?v=1750945451","url":"https:\/\/bookcurl.com\/products\/debussys-paris-9781442269828","provider":"Book Curl","version":"1.0","type":"link"}