Path 21
Debussy and Ravel
Two French composers side by side, often compared and often confused, from 1891 to Boléro in 1928.
Debussy → Ravel
Arabesque No. 1 in E major, CD 74/1; L. 66/1
This guide follows Debussy’s Arabesque No. 1 in E major, CD 74/1; L. 66/1 (1891) in one part.
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Follow all 4 sections as they play, free for 3 days
0:01–4:12
The first section (A) begins with parallel triads and rippling triplets, then opens out into arpeggios and a falling pentatonic line. The quieter B section arrives in A major, where the harmony shifts between modal and tonal colours. The opening (A) , rises in and sweeps up and down a large pentatonic scale before settling on E major. The closes quietly in the home .
- A
- B
Section boundaries in music are not always sharp; a transition may be felt over a pause or a held chord.
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