Claude Debussy
Founder of musical Impressionism
Most quoted
"I am trying to achieve something new – realities, as it were, what imbeciles call 'impressionism,' a term which is as ill-applied as possible, particularly by art critics who do not hesitate to apply it to Turner, the finest creator of mysterious effects in the whole world of art."
— from Letter to Jacques Durand, 1908
"The sound of the sea, the curve of the horizon, the wind in the leaves, the cry of a bird, these stir within us a multitude of impressions. And suddenly, without any previous agreement, one of these memories rises to the surface and expresses itself in the language of music."
— from Various interviews and letters
"The sound of the sea, the curve of a horizon, wind in leaves, the cry of a bird leave manifold impressions in us. And suddenly, without our wishing it at all, one of these memories spills from us and finds expression in musical language."
— from 'Monsieur Croche the Dilettante Hater', 1913
All quotes by Claude Debussy (297)
The artist must have a profound sense of the beautiful. He must be able to recognize it everywhere, in the most humble things as well as in the most sublime.
The true musician is the one who hears music in the silence.
I am trying to achieve something new – realities, as it were – what the imbeciles call 'impressionism,' a term which is as inappropriate as possible.
The greatest music is always the one that is not written.
The artist is a dreamer who allows himself to be guided by his dreams.
Beauty must be startling, not merely charming.
The aim of art is not to solve problems, but to make us forget them.
Music is the expression of the movement of the waters, the play of curves described by the shifting breezes.
There is nothing more musical than a sunset.
The artist is a mirror of the world, but a mirror that reflects with its own light.
Music is a mysterious mathematical problem whose solution is death.
The greatest joy in life is to be able to create.
I am trying to make music that is not bound by any rules, but only by the laws of nature.
The artist is a solitary being, but his solitude is full of echoes.
The true artist is the one who never ceases to wonder.
I have no desire to be a slave to any system.
The most beautiful things are those that are not understood.
The artist is a magician who transforms the ordinary into the extraordinary.
The greatest art is that which is closest to nature.
Music is the silence between the notes.
Contemporaries of Claude Debussy
Other Musics born within 50 years of Claude Debussy (1862–1918).