10036 – Golliwogs Cakewalk

Claude Debussy (1862-1918)

Arranged by Lindsay Shilling

Difficulty: Medium

Price: £22.50

Programme notes:

After the prolific years of 1904-5, the next period of Debussy’s life was marked by personal problems and lack of major compositions. His partner, Emma Bardac, was disinherited by her uncle, giving rise to financial problems and necessitating numerous foreign tours to play the piano and conduct. The only major work during 1906-7 was the first set of Images for piano. He did manage, however, to write a delightful suite of simple pieces for his daughter, Claude-Emma (Chou-Chou) in 1907.

The suite consists of 6 pieces, all having quirky titles in English. ‘Golliwog’s Cakewalk’ is the final movement and sees an early example of humorous allusions in Debussy’s piano music; to be developed in the ‘Preludes’ with its light hearted quotation of the opening phrase of Wagner’s ‘Tristan’.

Performance notes:

Keep the articulation clean and aim for lively rhythm with great character. The accompaniment figures must also be in character; however simple they may look, it is only by getting some life into these figures that the piece will dance.