Everything we perceive becomes a symbol or concealment for something else our own minds must make subconscious connections to reach the heart of the matter. Verlaine took up this atmosphere of disguise and implied hidden desires and carried it into the late 19th century’s Symbolist era, an artistic and literary movement in which nothing can be taken at face value. Watteau’s paintings are stylised, delicate portrayals of courtly life and love in idyllic pastoral settings, the protagonists sometimes costumed for masquerades as Commedia Dell’Arte characters (Harlequin, Pierrot, Columbine, et al). The piano piece dates originally from 1890 and was revised in 1905. Debussy set six of these poems to music, including this one, first in 1882, then again in 1891. The idea is from a poem by Paul Verlaine in his collection entitled Fêtes Galantes, themselves inspired by the paintings of Jean-Antoine Watteau (1684-1721). Click to load video Debussy’s ‘Clair De Lune’: The story behind the masterpieceĭebussy actually wrote three ‘Clair De Lunes’.
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