For Debussy, art is first of all a kind of enjoyment and experience of beauty, which should reflect the characteristics of the French nation, such as clarity, elegance, conciseness and nobility. This aesthetic thought is fully displayed in Debussy's symphonic poem The Sea. Before that, the theme of the ocean was basically interpreted as a vast and magnificent style, while Debussy's music took a brand-new and almost unfamiliar way and successfully completed this work. Later generations called The Sea "the best French symphony". Its concise form, sensitive brushwork, exquisite orchestration and pursuit of sound and color chords all freely express the mysterious connection between nature and imagination, and the essence and characteristics of impressionist music style are fully displayed in this classic.
Debussy's The Sea was written in 1903 to 1905. During this period, Debussy first started writing at his wife Rosalie's house. 1904, he abandoned Rosalie, eloped to Jersey with Emma, and completed the orchestration beside Emma. Debussy believes that this song originated from memory: "Why is the sea washing the slopes of Burgundy? I have countless memories, which are more useful in my feelings than the real scene. Because the charm of reality is generally too heavy a burden for thinking. " "Who knows the secret of music creation? The sound of the sea, the curve drawn by the sea and the sky, the breeze deep in the shade and the singing of birds have all formed a colorful impression in my heart. Suddenly, these images will be extended to the periphery with a little memory for no reason, so music appears, which naturally includes harmony. "
The Sea is Debussy's largest symphonic music work, which consists of three movements with different contents, but each movement is internally related and integrated into a complete work. It shows the scenery of the "sea" and its dynamic character, and shows the colors of various pictures in the "sea" extremely strongly through different sound areas of the whole band. Music gives people a complete impression and fantasy of the sea in time and space. Novel harmony, short melody, rich timbre and free development, all these impressionist techniques vividly depict a vivid picture of the sea.
There are three symphonic sketches in The Sea: The first one is The Sea from Dawn to Noon, which begins with the tranquility of the sea at dawn and begins with a simple description of the siren in two tones. Most of them are descriptions of the light and shadow changes of the sea sky, clouds and sunshine. This symphony forms an interdependent tonal relationship with unusual tonality, which seems to show the rhythm of the sea breathing. The second song, "The Game of the Waves", shows the colors splashed out in the fury of playing in the sea. This piece of music is like a raging sea wave, and its music time is almost completely impossible to capture. It keeps spinning, as if to collapse, disappear and reappear. In the continuous development of music, the British wind played a lovely first initiative, giving people a leisurely feeling. The third "Dialogue between the Wind and the Sea" shows the relationship between the two forces by introducing differentiation. At the beginning of this part, the vibrato of the timpani depicts the excited and floating thunder in the distance; Later, the music described the sea breeze blowing to the sea, causing waves of riots. A storm seemed to be coming, but everything suddenly became silent. In the distance, I only heard the siren singing more and more strongly, and finally the chorus reappeared in the climax of jubilation. Bartok believes: "Debussy conceived a new development model in the sea, and its presentation and development concept * * * all exist in the constant gushing. This endless stream makes it unnecessary for the work to beg for the spirit in any preset form and only rely on its own strength. "
This song has an interesting story. A gentleman has never seen the sea with his own eyes. When he inadvertently enjoyed Debussy's symphonic painting "The Sea" played by the band, it seemed that he really saw the sea scene of surf and splash, which left an indelible impression on him. So he decided to see the sea by himself, but when he saw the real sea, he felt a little "not strong enough". When he came back from his trip and enjoyed Debussy's symphonic painting The Sea again, he found his initial feeling. At this time, he couldn't help exclaiming, "Oh! This is the sea! "