Debussy: Six Épigraphes Antiques II.Pour un Tombeau sans Nom - symphonic wind dectet

Six épigraphes antiques, L. 131, CD. 139, is a suite of six pieces by Claude Debussy, originally written for piano duo. Completed in July 1914, the suite was Debussy's only completed composition that year

In 1915 Debussy transcribed them for piano solo.

Much of the music (over 100 measures) is taken from the musical accompaniments he had written in 1901 for his friend Pierre Louÿs's erotic lesbian poems Les Chansons de Bilitis.

 In 1939 the Swiss conductor Ernest Ansermet created an orchestration of the suite.

Movements:

1. Pour invoquer Pan, dieu du vent d'été ("To invoke Pan, god of the summer wind")
2. Pour un tombeau sans nom ("For a nameless tomb")(This One - arranged wind dectet)
3. Pour que la nuit soit propice("In order that the night be propitious")
4. Pour la danseuse aux crotales ("For the dancer with crotales")
5. Pour l'égyptienne ("For the Egyptian woman")
6. Pour remercier la pluie au matin ("To thank the morning rain")

Arranged wind dectet.

NB Unusual Instrumentation

Flute 2 plays piccolo

Oboe 2 has oboe d'amore solo at start of piece, then changes to cor anglais (Alternative cor anglais part provided but is quite HIGH - goes up to top D sharp) (Opening solo is fully cued in oboe part)

Preview links to mp3

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