Classical Music in Pictures Music in Pictures    

Lesson 28: La Mer - From Dawn to Midday on the Sea

by Claude Debussy

Performer: US Air Force Band

Directions

Study the musical selection for one week.

Over the week:

• Each day, listen to the musical selection.
• Read the synopsis.
• Review the vocabulary terms.
• Read about the composer and practice reciting his or her name and the composition title.
• Complete the enrichment activities.
• Study the review questions.

Synopsis

Claude Debussy's suite, 'La mer' (The Sea), contains three symphonic sketches that capture the unpredictable and turbulent nature of the sea. The first movement, 'From Dawn to Midday on the Sea,' captures the changes in the sea as the sun rises from the horizon to its zenith.

Vocabulary

Sea: The expanse of salt water that covers most of the earth's surface and surrounds its landmasses.
Symphony: An elaborate musical composition for full orchestra, typically in four movements.
Symphonic: Relating to or having the form or character of a symphony.
Unpredictable: Unable to say or estimate that a specified thing will happen in the future.
Turbulent: Characterized by conflict, disorder, or confusion.
Horizon: The line at which the earth's surface and the sky appear to meet.
Zenith: The highest point reached by a celestial or other object.

Composer

1. Claude Debussy was born in 1862 near Paris, France. See his picture below.

2. Zoom in and find Debussy's country of birth on the map of Europe below. What color represents the water of the oceans and seas? How many ocean and seas are shown on the map? Recite their names aloud.

3. Debussy began playing violin at the age of six, learned piano at age eight, and later studied an additional six instruments including flute and trombone. He entered the Paris Conservatoire at age ten.
4. Debussy was an artistic rebel, experimenting with music in ways not taught at the academy.
5. Critics of his day dismissed some of his best-loved works of today, and he often struggled to stay afloat financially.
6. Debussy died of cancer at the age of 55 in 1918.

Enrichment

Activity 1: Describe the Music

Listen to the music, and close your eyes and let yourself imagine. What do you picture as you listen to the music?

• After listening to the music, describe and discuss what you heard.
• Does the music sound happy or mournful? Is it fast or slow? Does the music convey motion or stillness? Does the music change over time as the piece progresses?

Read the list of adjectives. Select those that describe the music or think up additional adjectives.

• Cheerful
• Mournful
• Soft
• Noisy
• Vivacious
• Soothing
• Eerie
• Threatening
• Surreal
• Whimsical
• Rhythmic
• Grand

Activity 2: Study the Painting, Ivan Aivazovsky's 'The Ninth Wave'

As you listen to the music, find the following in the painting:

• Survivors
• Shipwreck Debris
• Sun
• Clouds
• The Ninth Wave
• The Glow of Sunlight Through the Water
• Wave Crest

After you study the painting, narrate the scene shown in the painting aloud using your own words.

Describe how the painting relates to the music.

Activity 3: Read About the Painting, Ivan Aivazovsky's 'The Ninth Wave'

The title of Ivan Aivazovsky's painting, 'The Ninth Wave,' refers to nautical tradition that states that waves come in an ever-growing grouping of nine. The ninth wave is the largest. This work shows a group of survivors clutching debris after a shipwreck. Painted in warm, cheerful tones, the sun's rays illuminate the survivors, perhaps representing hope of their survival. However, the title may indicate something more ominous in their futures. Have the survivors already bested the Ninth Wave, or will the Ninth Wave yet be their ultimate undoing? Note how Aivazovsky captures the sunlight glowing through the translucent water.

Review

Question 1

What is the title of the music?

1 / 3

Answer 1

The title is 'La Mer (The Sea) - From Dawn to Midday on the Sea.'

1 / 3

Question 2

Who composed the music?

2 / 3

Answer 2

The composer is Claude Debussy.

2 / 3

Question 3

What is 'From Dawn to Midday on the Sea' about?

3 / 3

Answer 3

'From Dawn to Midday on the Sea' is about the changes in the sea between dawn and midday.

3 / 3

❮ ❯

1. What is the title of the music? The title is 'La Mer (The Sea) - From Dawn to Midday on the Sea.'
2. Who composed the music? The composer is Claude Debussy.
3. What is 'From Dawn to Midday on the Sea' about? 'From Dawn to Midday on the Sea' is about the changes in the sea between dawn and midday.

References

'Claude Debussy.' Wikipedia. Wikipedia.org. n.p.

'La mer (Debussy).' Wikipedia. Wikipedia.org. n.p.