Clair de lune

This piece, probably the young Debussy’s best known piano piece, was the slow third movement of his Suite bergamasque (HN 381) in four movements. Although it is conventional as far as the harmony is concerned, the tonal and melodic details already anticipate Debussy’s later piano style. The suite was only published in 1905, although Debussy had made it clear by adding the date of composition “1890” to the proofs that it was an earlier work. The fact that he agreed to its publication shows that he still identified with this piece from a period whose style he had long since left behind.