Debussy in Proportion by Roy Howat
This is the first paperback edition of Roy Howat's stimulating and provocative study of Debussy's unorthodox use of musical form. Throught detailed analyses of the piano pieces Reflets dans l'eau and L'isle joyeuse and the symphonic poem La mer, Dr Howat shows how the pieces are built precisely and intricately around the two ratios of Golden Section and bisection so that the music is organised in various geometrical patterns which contribute substantially to its expansive and dramatic impact. The final chapter traces evidence of whether the proportional systems were designed consciously, and if so, where and why Debussy might have learnt such techniques. The evidence includes his involvement in the Symbolist movement and in esotericism.
'Roy Howat, in Debussy in Proportion, brilliantly dragoons every analytical and historical method at his command in his assault on the elusive question of Debussy's musical structuresHowat dispassionately assembles his evidence - biographical and historical matters, the analysis of duration, rhythm, harmony, motivic relationship, 'foreground' and 'background' hierarchical levels - into a virtually unassailable critical analysis of how Debussy's musical structures function as entities whose bases are those proportions expressed by the Golden Section or by Fibonacci and Lucus number series. The result, devoid of the analysis, is overwhelmingly convincing … It is criticism at its best, intelligent and untiring in its efforts to bring the music into clear focus.' 19th Century Music
' … it is impossible to resist the richness of detail supplied by Dr Howat; no sooner has a doubt occurred to one than it is resolved in the text, and the premise of the book seems inescapable.' Tempo
'To my mind, Roy Howat's book represents the most important advance in unravelling the mysteries of Debussy's music that there has ever been, and I confidently predict that its ramifications will be with us for a long time to come.' Robert Orledge, Music and Letters
' … it is impossible to resist the richness of detail supplied by Dr Howat; no sooner has a doubt occurred to one than it is resolved in the text, and the premise of the book seems inescapable.' Tempo
'To my mind, Roy Howat's book represents the most important advance in unravelling the mysteries of Debussy's music that there has ever been, and I confidently predict that its ramifications will be with us for a long time to come.' Robert Orledge, Music and Letters
Roy Howat is a concert pianist, scholar, editor, lecturer, and broadcaster. He lives in London and Paris and holds the position of Keyboard Research Fellow at the Royal Academy of Music, London.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780521311458 |
| ISBN 10 | 0521311454 |
| Title | Debussy in Proportion |
| Author | Roy Howat |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| Year published | 1986-03-06 |
| Number of pages | 256 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |