''La plus que lente'',
L. 121 (, "The more than slow"),
is a
waltz
The waltz ( ), meaning "to roll or revolve") is a ballroom and folk dance, normally in triple ( time), performed primarily in closed position.
History
There are many references to a sliding or gliding dance that would evolve into the w ...
for solo piano written by
Claude Debussy in 1910, shortly after his publication of the
Préludes, Book I.
The piece debuted at the New Carlton Hotel in Paris, where it was transcribed for strings and performed by the popular 'gipsy' violinist, Léoni, for whom Debussy wrote it (and who was given the manuscript by the composer).
Debussy arranged the piece for small orchestra (flute, clarinet, piano,
cimbalom
The cimbalom (; ) or concert cimbalom is a type of chordophone composed of a large, trapezoidal box on legs with metal strings stretched across its top and a damping pedal underneath. It was designed and created by V. Josef Schunda in 1874 in ...
and strings) which was published in 1912.
Style
Despite its title, ''La plus que lente'' was not meant to be played slowly; "lente," in this context, refers to the ''valse lente'' genre that Debussy attempted to emulate. Typical of Debussy's caustic approach to naming his compositions, it represented his reaction to the vast influence of the slow waltz in France's social atmospheres. However, as
Frank Howes
Frank Stewart Howes (2 April 1891 – 28 September 1974) was an English music critic. From 1943 to 1960 he was chief music critic of ''The Times''. From his student days Howes gravitated towards criticism as his musical specialism, guided by the a ...
noted, "''La plus que lente'' is, in Debussy's wryly humorous way, the ''valse lente''
low waltzto outdo all others."
The work is marked "Molto
rubato Tempo rubato (, , ; 'free in the presentation', literally ) is a musical term referring to expressive and rhythmic freedom by a slight speeding up and then slowing down of the tempo of a piece at the discretion of the soloist or the conductor. Ru ...
con
morbidezza
Morbidezza is a Renaissance artistic concept that describes an naturalistic delicacy in flesh tones. It can also describe pejoratively as being soft, weak, and effeminate. The term was coined by the Florentine philosopher Marsilio Ficino
Mar ...
," indicating Debussy's encouragement of a flexible tempo.
History
It has been claimed that Debussy was supposedly inspired for ''La plus que lente'' by a small sculpture, "La Valse", that he kept on his mantelpiece.
However, others point to various sources of inspiration, some citing the resemblance between this waltz and Debussy's earlier work, ''Ballade''.
During the same year of its composition, an orchestration of the work was conceived, but Debussy opposed the score's heavy use of percussion and proposed a new one, writing to his publisher:
See also
*
List of compositions by Claude Debussy by genre
This is a complete list of compositions by Claude Debussy initially categorized by genre, and sorted within each genre by "L²" number, according to the 2001 revised catalogue by musicologist François Lesure, which is generally in chronological o ...
*
List of compositions by Claude Debussy by Lesure numbers
*
Impressionist music
Impressionism in music was a movement among various composers in Western classical music (mainly during the late 19th and early 20th centuries) whose music focuses on mood and atmosphere, "conveying the moods and emotions aroused by the subject ...
*
Romantic music
References
External links
*
Original solo-piano version at last.fm
{{DEFAULTSORT:Plus que Lente
Compositions by Claude Debussy
1910 compositions