When discussing classical composers, you rarely think of them in context of the time they lived in and their life outside their music. It can be easy to forget that many classical composers lived at the same time, and despite being from all around the world, the musical world is small and many classical composers were well acquainted with each other. Such was the case with Igor Stravinsky and Claude Debussy. Despite Debussy being 20 years Stravinsky's senior, the two got along well and admired each others works. Sources suggest that Stravinsky looked up to Debussy as a mentor of sorts. Stravinsky owned a signed photo of Debussy and Debussy gifted Stravinsky a walking stick with their initials engraved on it.
A point of intrigue in their relationship was Stravinsky’s premiere of The Rite of Spring. Musicologist Louis Laloy recalls meeting with Debussy and Stravinsky to observe a preliminary run through of Rite of Spring. He writes “as soon as he saw us, the Russian musician ran with his arms outstretched to embrace the French master who gave me a look over his shoulder that showed he was both amused and touched”. The two composers played a 4-handed piano reduction of the piece and afterwards were silent, with Debussy left overwhelmed by the unusual piece. Later Stravinsky merely recalls being mostly impressed by Debussy’s playing.
Debussy was unsure of the piece and after attending rehearsals, writes that the music felt primitive and savage. Interestingly however, he always remained kind and respectful in his correspondence and interactions with Stravinsky.
Debussy attended the scandalous premiere. The audience was so shocked by the uncommonly “savage” piece that gasps of shock and outrage drowned out the music itself. Misia Sert, sitting in the same box as Debussy wrote “due to the miracle of the unconscious, secret affiliation, my glance fell upon Debussy sitting next to me in the box. A terrible sadness was reflected in his anxious face. He bent over me and whispered: ‘It is horrible — I can hear nothing.’” Italian composer Gian Francesco Malipiero who also attended the premiere wrote that Debussy was applauding and also cursing the dominant barbarity.
It is fairly clear that Debussy thought The Rite of Spring was disturbing and went as far to not even consider it music, but he still supported Stravinsky and attended the premiere. Even after playing the preliminary run-through and attending rehearsals, Stravinsky was still left with the impression that Debussy was enthusiastic about the piece, even while Debussy criticized the work behind his back. Although he had his reservations about the piece, he remained cordial towards Stravinsky, applauding his work while criticizing it. It seems that Debussy was fairly fond of the Russian composer. Perhaps he enjoyed that Stravinsky looked up to him. His final correspondence with Stravinsky before his death is signed “your always devoted, old Claude Debussy”. Stravinsky went on to write the Symphonies of Wind Instruments and dedicated to Debussy after his death. The two composers had incredibly different styles of music and differed greatly when it came to the type of music they wrote, but it is clear that they shared a special bond and it is fascinating to see how that bond was tested at the premiere of Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring.
