Embarrassing Classical Lesson 9
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Description
Book Introduction
Meet Debussy, the free spirit born of the beautiful Belle Époque.
From the endless transformations of classical music to the cheerful birth of popular music.
A Story of Times, People, and Music, as Told in Volume 9 of "Awkward Classical Lessons."
Paris, France, in the late 19th century was a city filled with light and color.
The explosive growth of technology, industry, and culture ushered in a beautiful era, remembered as the Belle Époque.
At the center of it all were artists who dreamed of innovation.
From clean new streets and splendid theaters to festival venues filled with exotic artifacts.
Every landscape became a painting, a song, a poem.
Claude Debussy was also a musician inspired by the portrait of a changing city.
This is why his music gives the impression of being free, yet flowing and sophisticated.
But just as the heat of midday is easily cooled by the moonlight that brings the night, darkness has always accompanied the vibrant modern city.
The times were one in which people clung to tradition while pursuing newness, and in which they indulged in exoticism while detesting unfamiliarity.
Debussy's music also depicts a world of fantasy, but behind it lies the contradictory life of the musician himself.
The face of an era marked by absurdity and chaos, and even Debussy's life, adds depth to his dreamlike music, or at times pours cold water on it.
The introductory book to classical music, 『My First Classical Music Lesson in My Life』 (hereafter referred to as "The Embarrassing Classical Music Lesson"), which has been consistently loved since its debut in 2018, chose Paris, France in the late 19th century for its ninth journey.
And then, the protagonist was Debussy, a musician who rejected existing grammar and pursued an original sound.
Debussy is a figure who absorbed the energy of the Belle Époque and, in turn, influenced it.
This lecture, in which the era and the individual are more organically intertwined than ever before, illuminates a new chapter in the history of classical music.
If you follow the footsteps of Debussy's music, you will soon encounter musicians who destroyed the sacred places of classical music and planted the flag of reform.
From Erik Satie to Maurice Ravel, Arnold Schoenberg and George Gershwin.
That journey leads to the birth of modern music and popular music.
This ninth volume will be an opportunity to become familiar with the world of classical music, which was once 'difficult' to even approach.
From the endless transformations of classical music to the cheerful birth of popular music.
A Story of Times, People, and Music, as Told in Volume 9 of "Awkward Classical Lessons."
Paris, France, in the late 19th century was a city filled with light and color.
The explosive growth of technology, industry, and culture ushered in a beautiful era, remembered as the Belle Époque.
At the center of it all were artists who dreamed of innovation.
From clean new streets and splendid theaters to festival venues filled with exotic artifacts.
Every landscape became a painting, a song, a poem.
Claude Debussy was also a musician inspired by the portrait of a changing city.
This is why his music gives the impression of being free, yet flowing and sophisticated.
But just as the heat of midday is easily cooled by the moonlight that brings the night, darkness has always accompanied the vibrant modern city.
The times were one in which people clung to tradition while pursuing newness, and in which they indulged in exoticism while detesting unfamiliarity.
Debussy's music also depicts a world of fantasy, but behind it lies the contradictory life of the musician himself.
The face of an era marked by absurdity and chaos, and even Debussy's life, adds depth to his dreamlike music, or at times pours cold water on it.
The introductory book to classical music, 『My First Classical Music Lesson in My Life』 (hereafter referred to as "The Embarrassing Classical Music Lesson"), which has been consistently loved since its debut in 2018, chose Paris, France in the late 19th century for its ninth journey.
And then, the protagonist was Debussy, a musician who rejected existing grammar and pursued an original sound.
Debussy is a figure who absorbed the energy of the Belle Époque and, in turn, influenced it.
This lecture, in which the era and the individual are more organically intertwined than ever before, illuminates a new chapter in the history of classical music.
If you follow the footsteps of Debussy's music, you will soon encounter musicians who destroyed the sacred places of classical music and planted the flag of reform.
From Erik Satie to Maurice Ravel, Arnold Schoenberg and George Gershwin.
That journey leads to the birth of modern music and popular music.
This ninth volume will be an opportunity to become familiar with the world of classical music, which was once 'difficult' to even approach.
- You can preview some of the book's contents.
Preview
index
Ⅰ The Everlasting Lights of the City - Paris' Belle Époque
01 The era of 'impressive' art
02 The Dangerous and Beautiful Belle Époque
Ⅱ Free Spirit - Debussy and the Paris Conservatory
01 The only hope for a poor family
02 The Dishonest Genius
Ⅲ Days Without a Day of Wind - Bohemian Composer
01 Misalignment and Dissonance
02 Darkness and light filling the gaps
03 The Gap Between Art and Reality
Ⅳ Nevertheless, brilliantly - a new start, and the end
01 Uncomfortable Beauty
02 Music Made with Tears
V. The Front Line of Innovation - A Portrait of Modernism
01 Even 'Yesterday' is boring 'Today'
02 The Age of Abstraction
03 Where the fresh wind blows
01 The era of 'impressive' art
02 The Dangerous and Beautiful Belle Époque
Ⅱ Free Spirit - Debussy and the Paris Conservatory
01 The only hope for a poor family
02 The Dishonest Genius
Ⅲ Days Without a Day of Wind - Bohemian Composer
01 Misalignment and Dissonance
02 Darkness and light filling the gaps
03 The Gap Between Art and Reality
Ⅳ Nevertheless, brilliantly - a new start, and the end
01 Uncomfortable Beauty
02 Music Made with Tears
V. The Front Line of Innovation - A Portrait of Modernism
01 Even 'Yesterday' is boring 'Today'
02 The Age of Abstraction
03 Where the fresh wind blows
Detailed image
Into the book
Debussy was a composer who pursued simplicity.
Although it looks simple, the free composition of the work that is not bound by tradition stands out.
The melody flows in unexpected directions and the sound spreads out gently.
Should we say that this is music that captures the moonlight reflecting on the river and gently breaking apart, rather than the moon floating brightly in the sky?
----From "The Age of 'Impressionistic' Art"
The core of Impressionist art is light.
Impressionist painters focused on the ever-changing light that changes with time, season, and weather.
Even for the same object, the ‘impression’ changes depending on how light and darkness are applied.
In this way, Debussy also stayed on the vague border with unclear materials, creating a sound that was as sensual and fantastic as light.
---From "The Age of 'Impressionistic' Art"
Debussy was disgusted by the exaggeration and ostentation of Wagner's language and music.
Debussy decided to omit grand gestures and not force his own sound like Wagner.
By taking a path that is the complete opposite of the one you worship, you end up creating a unique world of art.
While Wagner tried to create something new that had never existed before, Debussy tried to reduce as much as possible what already existed.
---From "Disagreement and Disagreement"
Mallarmé composed sentences with sensual poetry that seemed to have a melody, and Debussy expressed the mystical impressions he received from poetry into music.
The languidness brought about by the afternoon heat and the shepherd's sexual desire that moves between dreams and reality are visualized through instruments of various tones.
Debussy premiered this piece and introduced it as “freely drawing on the poetry of Stephane Mallarmé.”
Above all, the flute sound flowing in the introduction takes us into a fantasy forest.
---From "Darkness and Light Filling the Margins"
Because the complex yet secretive inner world of a character was revealed through music, the reactions to the premiere of Pelléas and Melisande were bound to be extremely polarized.
There was also a harsh criticism that “there is no music in this opera.”
Debussy wanted the music to permeate the flow of the play without interrupting it.
Rather than the music standing out and drawing attention, it enriched the depth of the characters' emotions and lines.
---From "The Gap Between Art and Reality"
So this song is not free from racist views either.
Because it depicts a strange-looking black doll dancing comically.
(Omitted) Cakewalk, which landed in Europe, quickly spread and became popular.
But paradoxically, Europeans were fascinated by the exotic and the unfamiliar, yet at the same time wary and disgusted by them.
The staggering, limping rhythm and gestures of the cakewalk were criticized as a regression and moral decline back to a primitive state before civilization.
---From "Uncomfortable Beauty"
More than anything, Debussy wanted to clearly establish his identity as a French musician during the war.
He argued towards Germany that “French music, like the French army, must take revenge.”
After 1914, the signature on the cover of the music book, “French musician Claude Debussy,” speaks volumes about his determination.
---From "Music Made with Tears"
Even the proud Debussy was equally offended.
I was not happy with the fact that Ravel was receiving attention and was often criticized as being 'more Debussy than Debussy'.
Since then, the label has made progress of its own with increasingly different resolutions in music.
(Omitted) Stravinsky, who was a hot musician at the time, commented on the label, saying it resembled “the workmanship of a Swiss watchmaker.”
This means that the label's work is both elegant and precise, like a watch that requires extremely sophisticated technology.
---From "Today, Even 'Yesterday' Is Boring"
Schoenberg's atonal music liberated all notes from the hierarchy of existing scales.
For example, in the major and minor scales, the tonic note is the center of how other notes are organized and related to each other.
It's a way of putting emphasis on certain notes and then organizing the order of other notes accordingly.
But Schoenberg abolished that hierarchy.
Instead, we create new music by giving each note a chance to do its part.
---From "The Age of Abstraction"
In the past, music was listened to at special times and in designated places, but with the advent of recording and broadcasting, it became possible to enjoy it anytime, anywhere, and by anyone.
Another big change is that music, which was previously an intangible sound, has been captured in the material form of an album and can now be bought and sold like an object.
Because of that, a lot of music that would sell well started coming out.
---From "Where the New Wind Blows"
The era in which Debussy lived is still vibrant even though more than 100 years have passed.
It was a time filled with the energy of change.
As if responding to the call of the times, Debussy broke with tradition, and his sensuous and innovative world of works became a new aesthetic standard.
Debussy's musical imagination, which proved that there was no such thing as 'original music from the beginning', reached modern musicians such as Schoenberg, and later reached the United States across the ocean.
Although it looks simple, the free composition of the work that is not bound by tradition stands out.
The melody flows in unexpected directions and the sound spreads out gently.
Should we say that this is music that captures the moonlight reflecting on the river and gently breaking apart, rather than the moon floating brightly in the sky?
----From "The Age of 'Impressionistic' Art"
The core of Impressionist art is light.
Impressionist painters focused on the ever-changing light that changes with time, season, and weather.
Even for the same object, the ‘impression’ changes depending on how light and darkness are applied.
In this way, Debussy also stayed on the vague border with unclear materials, creating a sound that was as sensual and fantastic as light.
---From "The Age of 'Impressionistic' Art"
Debussy was disgusted by the exaggeration and ostentation of Wagner's language and music.
Debussy decided to omit grand gestures and not force his own sound like Wagner.
By taking a path that is the complete opposite of the one you worship, you end up creating a unique world of art.
While Wagner tried to create something new that had never existed before, Debussy tried to reduce as much as possible what already existed.
---From "Disagreement and Disagreement"
Mallarmé composed sentences with sensual poetry that seemed to have a melody, and Debussy expressed the mystical impressions he received from poetry into music.
The languidness brought about by the afternoon heat and the shepherd's sexual desire that moves between dreams and reality are visualized through instruments of various tones.
Debussy premiered this piece and introduced it as “freely drawing on the poetry of Stephane Mallarmé.”
Above all, the flute sound flowing in the introduction takes us into a fantasy forest.
---From "Darkness and Light Filling the Margins"
Because the complex yet secretive inner world of a character was revealed through music, the reactions to the premiere of Pelléas and Melisande were bound to be extremely polarized.
There was also a harsh criticism that “there is no music in this opera.”
Debussy wanted the music to permeate the flow of the play without interrupting it.
Rather than the music standing out and drawing attention, it enriched the depth of the characters' emotions and lines.
---From "The Gap Between Art and Reality"
So this song is not free from racist views either.
Because it depicts a strange-looking black doll dancing comically.
(Omitted) Cakewalk, which landed in Europe, quickly spread and became popular.
But paradoxically, Europeans were fascinated by the exotic and the unfamiliar, yet at the same time wary and disgusted by them.
The staggering, limping rhythm and gestures of the cakewalk were criticized as a regression and moral decline back to a primitive state before civilization.
---From "Uncomfortable Beauty"
More than anything, Debussy wanted to clearly establish his identity as a French musician during the war.
He argued towards Germany that “French music, like the French army, must take revenge.”
After 1914, the signature on the cover of the music book, “French musician Claude Debussy,” speaks volumes about his determination.
---From "Music Made with Tears"
Even the proud Debussy was equally offended.
I was not happy with the fact that Ravel was receiving attention and was often criticized as being 'more Debussy than Debussy'.
Since then, the label has made progress of its own with increasingly different resolutions in music.
(Omitted) Stravinsky, who was a hot musician at the time, commented on the label, saying it resembled “the workmanship of a Swiss watchmaker.”
This means that the label's work is both elegant and precise, like a watch that requires extremely sophisticated technology.
---From "Today, Even 'Yesterday' Is Boring"
Schoenberg's atonal music liberated all notes from the hierarchy of existing scales.
For example, in the major and minor scales, the tonic note is the center of how other notes are organized and related to each other.
It's a way of putting emphasis on certain notes and then organizing the order of other notes accordingly.
But Schoenberg abolished that hierarchy.
Instead, we create new music by giving each note a chance to do its part.
---From "The Age of Abstraction"
In the past, music was listened to at special times and in designated places, but with the advent of recording and broadcasting, it became possible to enjoy it anytime, anywhere, and by anyone.
Another big change is that music, which was previously an intangible sound, has been captured in the material form of an album and can now be bought and sold like an object.
Because of that, a lot of music that would sell well started coming out.
---From "Where the New Wind Blows"
The era in which Debussy lived is still vibrant even though more than 100 years have passed.
It was a time filled with the energy of change.
As if responding to the call of the times, Debussy broke with tradition, and his sensuous and innovative world of works became a new aesthetic standard.
Debussy's musical imagination, which proved that there was no such thing as 'original music from the beginning', reached modern musicians such as Schoenberg, and later reached the United States across the ocean.
---From "Where the New Wind Blows"
Publisher's Review
A musician with all the colors of the world
“I did not imitate impressionist art, but simply expressed in music the impressions given by nature.” These are the words of Debussy, a 19th-century French musician.
But ironically, the epithet that represents Debussy today is 'impressionist musician.'
If Debussy, with his sensitive and eccentric personality, heard this, he would jump out of his grave.
Debussy's music is clearly different from classical music, which has clear form and structure.
The melody and rhythm flow in an unpredictable way, but this ambiguity creates a mysterious and unique sound.
Above all, it is truly 'impressive' to create an image or impression in the listener's mind.
Paris, France, in the late 19th century was a city full of change.
Amidst the influx of new cultures and ideas, what heated up the art world was undoubtedly Impressionist art.
Artists began to reject the stereotypical, institutionalized art and began to express their personal impressions on canvas rather than objectively depicting the subject.
This 'revolution', which embodies the light and air scattered between the gaps between hands on a flat canvas, brings to mind Debussy's music.
This is because it breaks away from the existing expressions and order and uses nature, which changes from moment to moment, as its main subject matter to express it in a sensual way.
So why didn't Debussy want to confine himself to the word Impressionism?
Because that is not all there is to Debussy's world of works.
His music is not just beautiful.
It is profound, suggestive, and at times infinitely gorgeous.
Debussy found inspiration in everything new and unfamiliar.
Portraits of the times, such as symbolism that symbolized abstract imagery, Rococo art with its elegant and fantastic atmosphere, and gamelan music from East Asia introduced across the sea, were excellent nutrients for Debussy.
By crossing artistic genres and musical borders, he brought innovation to classical music.
This is why we need to delve deeper into Debussy.
The free spirit of the Belle Époque
Today, Paris, France is called the city of freedom and art.
The fact that it was the epicenter of the French Revolution, which is called the textbook of the civil revolution, and was a leader in the latest trends in many ways also played a role.
At the end of the 19th century, Paris was the center of the Belle Époque.
Paris, which began to take on the appearance of a modern city, changed its appearance every day, and the World's Fair was at the peak of this change.
The World's Fair, filled with inventions and cultural products from around the world, was truly a wonderland.
But where there is light, there is also shadow.
Behind the prosperity of the time, there was a sense of national and racial superiority, and people displayed a contradictory attitude of enjoying foreign sentiments while simultaneously despising them.
It was a 'beautiful yet uncomfortable time'.
Debussy's life is like a mirror of the Belle Époque.
Debussy's music is dreamily beautiful, but his life was somewhat rough and absurd.
Debussy, who was self-centered, sensitive, and even windy, was always an icon of controversy.
Nevertheless, Debussy's talent and musical prowess were outstanding enough to cover up the noise.
He did not compromise with traditional grammar and power to create a unique world of works, and thanks to this, he established himself as a master of innovation.
Debussy, a 'free spirit', was so free that he often ruined his own life and the lives of others, but on the other hand, he had the audacity to turn the world upside down.
With this, the era and musicians I admired begin to feel unfamiliar.
Volume 9 of "Awkward Classical Music Lessons" goes beyond simply covering Debussy's life to talk about the world he lived in.
By delving into the historical background as well as the ideas that dominated the era, and meeting contemporary artists such as Satie, Ravel, and Verlaine who influenced Debussy, we can approach the character in a more three-dimensional way.
That's why the book is full of the charm of 'push and pull', where you get close to the story, then take a step back, and then fall in love again.
Pages of an era woven with melody
Debussy's "Moonlight" is still a beloved piece today, more than 100 years later.
Still refined, this song seems to be hung on a staff, bathed in the moonlight gently breaking over the river.
Debussy, who presented a unique auditory experience, is called an artistic bridge between the 19th and 20th centuries and a musician who opened the door to modern music.
“There is no such thing as theory.
Just like Debussy's belief that "just listen", music also entered a new century and expanded its horizons.
In short, the 20th century was a 'breakup' with traditional classical music.
With the outbreak of the World War, the beautiful era came to an end, and people were shocked and began to reveal their most intimate wounds most openly.
Contemporary music, which dismantles conventions and overturns rules, has become another language for those who have lost their voice.
The innovation Debussy dreamed of his entire life was achieved in an unexpected way across the ocean.
In the early 20th century, with explosive growth, the United States became the "land of wine and music," and a sound that blended various cultural and musical elements was born.
This is the beginning of popular music, jazz.
In this way, music entered a new phase as a genre, and thanks to technological advancements, it quickly penetrated the public's daily lives in the form of records.
This book, which begins with the 'classical musician' Debussy, soon takes readers to the scene of the 'birth of popular music.'
This ninth volume contains moments where the meaning of "Awkward Classical Music Lessons," which began with the aim of making classical music more accessible and familiar, shines brighter than ever.
Moreover, the unique structure of the 'Embarrassing Series', namely the dialogue format where a professor lectures and students answer, and the illustrator Kang Han's sensual illustrations are excellent companions on this journey.
As befitting a period where various arts came together, it also contains an abundance of impressionist and expressionist painting plates.
Now is the time to experience the beauty and turmoil of that era and get closer to the many faces of music.
“I did not imitate impressionist art, but simply expressed in music the impressions given by nature.” These are the words of Debussy, a 19th-century French musician.
But ironically, the epithet that represents Debussy today is 'impressionist musician.'
If Debussy, with his sensitive and eccentric personality, heard this, he would jump out of his grave.
Debussy's music is clearly different from classical music, which has clear form and structure.
The melody and rhythm flow in an unpredictable way, but this ambiguity creates a mysterious and unique sound.
Above all, it is truly 'impressive' to create an image or impression in the listener's mind.
Paris, France, in the late 19th century was a city full of change.
Amidst the influx of new cultures and ideas, what heated up the art world was undoubtedly Impressionist art.
Artists began to reject the stereotypical, institutionalized art and began to express their personal impressions on canvas rather than objectively depicting the subject.
This 'revolution', which embodies the light and air scattered between the gaps between hands on a flat canvas, brings to mind Debussy's music.
This is because it breaks away from the existing expressions and order and uses nature, which changes from moment to moment, as its main subject matter to express it in a sensual way.
So why didn't Debussy want to confine himself to the word Impressionism?
Because that is not all there is to Debussy's world of works.
His music is not just beautiful.
It is profound, suggestive, and at times infinitely gorgeous.
Debussy found inspiration in everything new and unfamiliar.
Portraits of the times, such as symbolism that symbolized abstract imagery, Rococo art with its elegant and fantastic atmosphere, and gamelan music from East Asia introduced across the sea, were excellent nutrients for Debussy.
By crossing artistic genres and musical borders, he brought innovation to classical music.
This is why we need to delve deeper into Debussy.
The free spirit of the Belle Époque
Today, Paris, France is called the city of freedom and art.
The fact that it was the epicenter of the French Revolution, which is called the textbook of the civil revolution, and was a leader in the latest trends in many ways also played a role.
At the end of the 19th century, Paris was the center of the Belle Époque.
Paris, which began to take on the appearance of a modern city, changed its appearance every day, and the World's Fair was at the peak of this change.
The World's Fair, filled with inventions and cultural products from around the world, was truly a wonderland.
But where there is light, there is also shadow.
Behind the prosperity of the time, there was a sense of national and racial superiority, and people displayed a contradictory attitude of enjoying foreign sentiments while simultaneously despising them.
It was a 'beautiful yet uncomfortable time'.
Debussy's life is like a mirror of the Belle Époque.
Debussy's music is dreamily beautiful, but his life was somewhat rough and absurd.
Debussy, who was self-centered, sensitive, and even windy, was always an icon of controversy.
Nevertheless, Debussy's talent and musical prowess were outstanding enough to cover up the noise.
He did not compromise with traditional grammar and power to create a unique world of works, and thanks to this, he established himself as a master of innovation.
Debussy, a 'free spirit', was so free that he often ruined his own life and the lives of others, but on the other hand, he had the audacity to turn the world upside down.
With this, the era and musicians I admired begin to feel unfamiliar.
Volume 9 of "Awkward Classical Music Lessons" goes beyond simply covering Debussy's life to talk about the world he lived in.
By delving into the historical background as well as the ideas that dominated the era, and meeting contemporary artists such as Satie, Ravel, and Verlaine who influenced Debussy, we can approach the character in a more three-dimensional way.
That's why the book is full of the charm of 'push and pull', where you get close to the story, then take a step back, and then fall in love again.
Pages of an era woven with melody
Debussy's "Moonlight" is still a beloved piece today, more than 100 years later.
Still refined, this song seems to be hung on a staff, bathed in the moonlight gently breaking over the river.
Debussy, who presented a unique auditory experience, is called an artistic bridge between the 19th and 20th centuries and a musician who opened the door to modern music.
“There is no such thing as theory.
Just like Debussy's belief that "just listen", music also entered a new century and expanded its horizons.
In short, the 20th century was a 'breakup' with traditional classical music.
With the outbreak of the World War, the beautiful era came to an end, and people were shocked and began to reveal their most intimate wounds most openly.
Contemporary music, which dismantles conventions and overturns rules, has become another language for those who have lost their voice.
The innovation Debussy dreamed of his entire life was achieved in an unexpected way across the ocean.
In the early 20th century, with explosive growth, the United States became the "land of wine and music," and a sound that blended various cultural and musical elements was born.
This is the beginning of popular music, jazz.
In this way, music entered a new phase as a genre, and thanks to technological advancements, it quickly penetrated the public's daily lives in the form of records.
This book, which begins with the 'classical musician' Debussy, soon takes readers to the scene of the 'birth of popular music.'
This ninth volume contains moments where the meaning of "Awkward Classical Music Lessons," which began with the aim of making classical music more accessible and familiar, shines brighter than ever.
Moreover, the unique structure of the 'Embarrassing Series', namely the dialogue format where a professor lectures and students answer, and the illustrator Kang Han's sensual illustrations are excellent companions on this journey.
As befitting a period where various arts came together, it also contains an abundance of impressionist and expressionist painting plates.
Now is the time to experience the beauty and turmoil of that era and get closer to the many faces of music.
GOODS SPECIFICS
- Date of issue: December 16, 2024
- Page count, weight, size: 336 pages | 152*225*30mm
- ISBN13: 9791162733363
- ISBN10: 1162733365
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