How To Teach Debussy's Arabesque No.1
Today in our How To Teach Intermediate Piano Repertoire series we are looking at a late intermediate / early advanced student favorite - Arabesque No.1 by Claude Debussy. Something about Debussy’s music often speaks to teens in a unique way, and I have had several students love and emotionally connect with his easier compositions during the pandemic.
Recommended editions:
Schirmer Performance Edition - Claude Debussy: 16 Piano Favorites (Christopher Harding)
Alfred Masterworks Edition - Debussy: 12 Selected Piano Works (Joseph Banowetz)
Anthology of Impressionistic Piano Music (Maurice Hinson)
At the Piano - Debussy (Henle urtext)
Skills Required to play this Arabesque well:
Polyrhythm 2 against 3
Large arpeggiated chords / chord patterns
Large leaps
Chord voicing
Pianissimo dynamic level
Ability to listen to tone quality and make different colors
Advanced pedaling, including consideration of una corda pedal use
Detailed expressive markings from the composer
What is an Arabesque? Well, besides being a pose in classical ballet, Merriam-Webster’s dictionary defines it as “an ornament or style that employs flower, foliage, or fruit and sometimes animal and figural outlines to produce an intricate pattern of interlaced lines.” These are often found in Arabic art, and the swirling lines in a design such as the one to the left remind me of all of the triplets found in this piece.
➡️ I highly recommend Jennifer Linn’s Les Petites Impressions for intermediate students preparing to study Debussy. ➡️
UPDATE:
After posting this, I also used the Arabesque No.1 as the model piece to introduce my Repertoire Difficulty Worksheet. You can view that video here:
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