French composer Claude Debussy is the foremost figure of impressionist music. Debussy’s poetic, colourful music captures the most subtle feelings and their transformation. From the French tradition, the composer inherited refined emotionality and aristocratic taste.

Debussy’s outstanding work is the symphonic triptych Nocturnes. The first movement, Nuages (Clouds), is a musical representation of slowly moving clouds. The middle section of Nuages was inspired by the gamelan, an orchestra from the Indonesian island of Java, which the composer heard at the 1889 World Exhibition in Paris. In recreating the texture of the gamelan, Debussy wrote a simple pentatonic melody for flute and harp, while the other instruments form a static background. The second movement, Fêtes (Festivals), is an impressionistic reflection on a festive procession. The third movement, Sirènes (Sirens), depicts the sea. In this movement the orchestra is augmented by a wordless women’s choir.

All three movements of Nocturnes masterfully display Debussy’s exceptional orchestration technique and rich instrumentation.