"Nocturnes" for Symphony Orchestra ("Nuages", "Fetes", "Sirenes")

In 1899, the three NOCTURNЕS were born, largely inspired by the paintings of the artist James Whistler. Debussy wrote as a preface, "The concept of Nocturnes is interpreted here in a more general, decorative sense. It does not define the usual form of Nocturne, but conveys all the impressions and shades of light that the titles suggest. 'Clouds' creates the constant image of the sky and the slow movement of the clouds, disappearing into grey tones slightly mixed with white. "Festivals" carries the vibrating, dancing rhythm of the atmosphere, with sudden flashes of light. There is also an episode of procession, a chimerical vision that passes through the festive scene and merges with it. But the backdrop remains invariably the same: a celebration, interspersed with music and motes of light that flow into the cosmic rhythm. "Sirens" pictures the waves silvered by the moonlight, the sea and its myriad rhythms, and one can hear the mysterious song of the sirens laughing and disappearing." The French critics have characterized the Nocturnes as a sonority of the three elements - air, fire and water, or an expression of three states - contemplation, action and ecstasy. Debussy accomplishes the characteristic atmosphere in the three contrasting movements with a subtle playing of all possible timbre nuances in a different type of orchestra - a smaller ensemble, with a delicate dullness without brass instruments in Clouds, brilliantly full-voiced in Festivals, and the addition of female voices in Sirens - eight sopranos and eight mezzo-sopranos.