A Prelude to Debussy

Synopsis

Claude Debussy died one hundred years ago. His writings reveal him to have been profoundly non-conformist and extreme. Whether they find it mysterious and impenetrable or fascinating and brilliant, no one is indifferent to his music. Through correspondences, interviews with contemporary artists, archival materials and lots of music, this film brings to life the man and his work. In this film, contemporary artists – among them conductor Philippe Jordan, singer Barbara Hannigan and pianist Alexandre Tharaud – recount ‘their Debussy’, providing keys to a better understanding of the composer’s works and the radical rupture they constituted at his time. The portrait is completed by up to now unpublished archival interviews and excerpts of performances by great ‘Debussians’ like Samson François, Leonard Bernstein and Pierre Boulez.

Additional Info

• No: A01050098
• Composer: Claude Debussy
• Artists: Philippe Jordan, Barbara Hannigan, Alexandre Tharaud, Nicolas Le Riche, Julie Fuchs
• Production year: 2018
• Run time: 00:52:00
• Director: A film by Marie Guilloux
• Producers: Schuch Productions, ARTE France and BnF, with support from Procirep-Angoa and the Sacem in association with CNC and UNITEL
• Format: HDTV 16:9