Debussy, Claude Achille

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Debussy, Claude Achille (1862–1918) French composer, exponent of impressionism. Debussy wrote highly individual music that was delicate and suggestive. He explored new techniques of harmony and orchestral colour. Some critics cite his Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune (1894) as the beginning of 20th-century music. Other orchestral works are Nocturnes (1899), La Mer (1905), and Images (1912). His piano works, such as Suite Bergamasque (1890) and Etudes (1915), are among the most important in the repertoire. His one completed opera was Pelléas and Mélisande (1902).

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