Arabesques (Debussy)

The Two Arabesques (Deux arabesques), L. 66, is a pair of arabesques composed by Claude Debussy. They are two of Debussy's earliest works, composed between the years 1888 and 1891, when he was still in his twenties.

Although quite an early work, the arabesques contain hints of Debussy's developing musical style. The suite is one of the very early impressionistic pieces of music, following the French visual art form. Debussy seems to wander through modes and keys, and achieves evocative scenes through music.

The two arabesques are given these tempo marks:

1. Andantino con moto
2. Allegretto scherzando

The arabesques

Arabesque No. 1. Andantino con moto

Upper stave: Claude Debussy's Première Arabesque with outlined chords represented in lower staff.  Play

This arabesque is in the key of E major. This piece begins with parallelism of triads in first inversion, a composition technique very much used by Debussy and the impressionist movement. It leads into a larger section beginning with a left hand arpeggio in E major and a descending right hand E major pentatonic progression.

The second quieter B section is in A major, which starts with a gesture (E-D-E-C♯), briefly passes through E major, returns to A major and ends with a bold pronouncement of the E-D-E-C♯ gesture, but transposed to the key of C major, played forte.

In the middle of the recapitulation of the A section, the music moves to a higher register and descends, followed by a large pentatonic scale ascending and descending, and resolving back to E major.

Arabesque No. 2. Allegretto scherzando

The second arabesque in G major is noticeably quicker and more lively in tempo. It opens with left hand chords and right hand trills. The pieces makes several transpositions and explores a lower register of the piano. Again notable is a hint of the pentatonic scale. The style more closely resembles some of Debussy's later works. Like the closing bars of the first arabesque, this arabesque closes in a similar fashion.

In popular culture

Arabesque No. 1 was the theme music to PBS's show Jack Horkheimer: Star Gazer. The version used is an electronic rendition by Isao Tomita, from the album Snowflakes are Dancing.

Arabesque No. 1 is interpolated on R&B/Soul singer Alicia Keys track "Like the Sea", from her 4th studio album "The Element of Freedom".

It is also used in the 2009 third season of British television show, Skins. It is used in JJ's episode, along with other Debussy pieces such as "Golliwogg's Cakewalk" and "Clair de lune". The impressionist music reflects JJ's inner thoughts and emotional personality.

Finally, master marching band composer and arranger Key Poulan arranged the first arabesque for marching band in the show, "Alfred Hitchcock's 'The Birds.'"

External links

• 2 Arabesques: Free scores at the International Music Score Library Project.