Debussy: At the Piano

Each volume in the “At the Piano” series includes original pieces by one composer. The works are arranged in progressive order of difficulty and complement one another conceptually. Each piece ranges from one to eight pages. All volumes contain fingering and practical tips on technique and interpretation. The “At the Piano” series is an ideal introduction to the world of classical piano music and is particularly suitable for piano students and for all those who are returning to the piano after a long break. The series is edited by Sylvia Hewig-Tröscher, a piano professor at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Munich. She has decades of experience teaching young people and adults, gives concerts and masterclasses around the world, and is a much sought-after educator.

You do not need to be a piano virtuoso to enter into the dream world of French Impressionism. With Debussy this is especially straightforward because he knows how to create masterly miniatures possessing poetic depth, even with simple technical means. “Clair de lune” is probably the best known of these, though by no means the only example, as our selection here proves. And whoever works through this volume successfully can then play a real concert piece in the shape of “La Cathédrale engloutie,” the final work in our selection.

Contents: The Little Shepherd from Children's Corner • Golliwogg's Cakewalk from Children's Corner • Doctor Gradus ad Parnassum from Children's Corner • Arabesque No. 1 from Deux Arabesques • La Fille aux cheveux de lin from Préludes, Book 1 • La Cathédrale engloutie from Préludes, Book 1 • Clair de lune from Suite bergamasque • Sarabande from Pour le piano • La plus que lente