Susan Waterfall: Debussy Préludes Book One, part I

Treat your ears and eyes to an in-depth exploration of Debussy’s colorful and captivating Préludes for Piano, Book One, written in 1909-10. Susan Waterfall has assembled memorable historic and current performances. She’ll guide you through the visual and literary images that inspired Debussy to create sound worlds that had never before been imagined. You can follow along with a score, if you have one, or just allow the music to transport you to the fantasy destinations and to the portraits and vignettes that enthralled Debussy and his Parisian public. With images by Mina Cohen.

You can follow along with a score, if you have one, jot down some notes to help you stay focused, or just allow the music to transport you to the fantasy destinations and to the portraits and vignettes that enthralled Debussy and his Parisian public.

Pianist and Associate Artistic Director Susan Waterfall has created many multi-media, narrated settings for chamber music for the Festival, ranging from Bartok’s Women (2003) to Tales of a Parisian Salon (2004) to They Left a Light, Masterpieces from Nazi Prison Camps (2009). In 2014, she designed and performed in the four-day Bach Fest, featuring lectures and concerts. With Mozart in Mendocino (2015), the Beethoven Tribute (2016), Understanding Schubert (2017), Chopin: Dreams and Memories of a Lost Homeland (2018), and Brahms (2019), Waterfall continued her in-depth exploration of the music, life, and cultural milieu of a major composer. This season her focus is on Debussy.