Claude Debussy's Experiment with Harmony: Footprints in the Snow
Harmony Capstone
March 14, 2013 Footprints in the Snow (Des pas sur la neige) is one of Claude Debussy’s, a French Impressionist composer, many piano preludes. This particular prelude is number six out of twelve in his first book of preludes, written between December 1909 and February 1910. Footprints in the Snow is considered the saddest and most moving of all of Debussy’s preludes. Although the key signature suggests F major or D minor, the piece is modal, switching between various modes based on D and Db. Measures one through four use D Aeolian, which is why one may think the piece is in D minor at first glace, but the lack of a leading tone suggests Aeolian. At measure five, the piece modulates into D Dorian, and lasts until measure eight. At this point, Debussy starts incorporating F#, C#, and G# while switching between Bb and B natural. At measure ten, Debussy adds more accidentals to the piece (Db, Cb, Ab, and Eb) suggesting Db Mixolydian. The composer experiments with this mode up until measure fourteen, here Debussy uses Ab and F# for a few measures. At measure sixteen, the composer stops using F#, substituted for F natural, but keeps the Ab. Bb and Ab with an E natural do not suggest any particular mode, creating tension in the piece. The piece drops its Bb at measure twenty, suggesting D Dorian, but quickly modulates back into Db Mixolydian until measure twenty-three. At measure twenty-three, Debussy is trying to create a lot of tension and instability. The tones Debussy uses do not correspond to any particular mode or key. The composer brings the piece back to Db Mixolydian at measure twenty-nine and then modulates into D Aeolian at measure thirty-two, but uses the C# leading tone to bring the piece to an end. The modal feel throughout the piece does not really give us a sense of direction, but more a floating feeling. Debussy is creative in chord construction, using many extended chords. The first example of this is in measure five. The chord
March 14, 2013 Footprints in the Snow (Des pas sur la neige) is one of Claude Debussy’s, a French Impressionist composer, many piano preludes. This particular prelude is number six out of twelve in his first book of preludes, written between December 1909 and February 1910. Footprints in the Snow is considered the saddest and most moving of all of Debussy’s preludes. Although the key signature suggests F major or D minor, the piece is modal, switching between various modes based on D and Db. Measures one through four use D Aeolian, which is why one may think the piece is in D minor at first glace, but the lack of a leading tone suggests Aeolian. At measure five, the piece modulates into D Dorian, and lasts until measure eight. At this point, Debussy starts incorporating F#, C#, and G# while switching between Bb and B natural. At measure ten, Debussy adds more accidentals to the piece (Db, Cb, Ab, and Eb) suggesting Db Mixolydian. The composer experiments with this mode up until measure fourteen, here Debussy uses Ab and F# for a few measures. At measure sixteen, the composer stops using F#, substituted for F natural, but keeps the Ab. Bb and Ab with an E natural do not suggest any particular mode, creating tension in the piece. The piece drops its Bb at measure twenty, suggesting D Dorian, but quickly modulates back into Db Mixolydian until measure twenty-three. At measure twenty-three, Debussy is trying to create a lot of tension and instability. The tones Debussy uses do not correspond to any particular mode or key. The composer brings the piece back to Db Mixolydian at measure twenty-nine and then modulates into D Aeolian at measure thirty-two, but uses the C# leading tone to bring the piece to an end. The modal feel throughout the piece does not really give us a sense of direction, but more a floating feeling. Debussy is creative in chord construction, using many extended chords. The first example of this is in measure five. The chord