If you're still not convinced that scholars such as Maurice Hinson are correct as to how Debussy's "The Sunken Cathedral" should be played, here is INCONTROVERTIBLE EVIDENCE.
Here is a piano roll of the work made by Debussy himself.
Some argue (convincingly) that piano rolls aren't necessarily a complete picture of a performance. It is true that the tempo can be tampered with, and like present-day recordings, missed notes and uneven passages could be "fixed". But once the tempo is set, it stays.
This explains the rather unorthodox combined time signature of 3/2 and 6/4. Some sections are played with the half note as a beat unit, some with the quarter note as the beat unit.
Record collectors state that it was "played correctly" on recordings until Walter Gieseking recorded it (wrong). In fact, I have an early Arthur Rubinstein recording where he plays it like this.
Let's stop arguing the point and play it the way the Master did.
Thank you for this posting. I have enjoyed playingthis piece for 30 years but never knew if I played it "right." Very enlightening!
ReplyDeletethank you for posting. I am still working on this song
DeleteFor the absolute best interpretations of Debussy, listen to the album "Snowflakes are Dancing" by Isao Tomita.
DeleteI have the notes, just working on dynamics :)
ReplyDeleteits amazing how you were able to record him!
ReplyDeleteI think I've finally got it!!!!!
ReplyDeletejust beautiful. I love it.
ReplyDeletePlease see my article published in the American Music Teacher, August 2006 entitled "Solving Performance Problems in Debussy's Cathedrale Engloutie in which I discuss not only the meter, but pedaling, and errors in the manuscript. Janet Bass Smith
ReplyDeleteWhaaaaaaaat?????
ReplyDelete