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 art of music is more than the art of sound; it is the art of silence.
Music is a total sum of scattered forces.
I am trying to make music that is as free as possible.
The artist is a man who sees more than others, and who feels more than others.
Music is the most beautiful lie of all.
The greatest art is that which is most simple.
I am trying to create a music that is not based on any system, but on the free play of sounds.
Music is a language that has no words.
The artist must be a revolutionary.
Music is the most direct expression of the soul.
I am trying to capture the inexpressible.
The true artist is one who is always seeking, always experimenting.
Music is the art of expressing the inexpressible.
The artist must be a magician.
I am trying to make music that is as natural as possible.
Music is the most profound of all the arts.
I am trying to make music that is as beautiful as possible.
Music is the language of the soul.
The artist must be a poet.
I am trying to make music that is as expressive as possible.
Contemporaries of Claude Debussy
Other Musics born within 50 years of Claude Debussy (1862–1918).