Classical Music in Pictures Music in Pictures    

Lesson 29: La Mer - Play of the Waves

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 second movement, 'Play of Waves,' is brighter and livelier than the first, and may represent the swells of ocean waves on a pleasant day.

Vocabulary

Sea: The expanse of salt water that covers most of the earth's surface and surrounds its landmasses.
Wave: A ridge of water between two depressions in open water.
Swell: A slow, regular movement of the sea in rolling waves that do not break.

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 'American Ships off the Rock of Gibraltar'

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

• The Rock of Gibraltar
• The Mediterranean
• Ships
• Clouds
• The Reflection of Sunlight Off the Water
• The Glow of Sunlight Through the Water
• The Sun

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 'American Ships off the Rock of Gibraltar'

The Rock of Gibraltar is a high, rocky landform pointing into the Mediterranean off coastal southern Spain. It has been a British territory for over 300 years, but Britain and Spain are still fighting over it. Ivan Aivazovsky features this landform on the horizon is his work, 'American Ships off the Rock of Gibraltar.'

Activity 4: Map the Painting

• Study the map of the western European country of Spain below.
• Find the Mediterranean Sea.
• Find Gibraltar on the Southern Coast of Spain.

Review

Question 1

What is the title of the music?

1 / 3

Answer 1

The title is 'La Mer (The Sea) - Play of Waves.'

1 / 3

Question 2

Who composed the music?

2 / 3

Answer 2

The composer is Claude Debussy.

2 / 3

Question 3

What is 'Play of Waves' about?

3 / 3

Answer 3

'Play of Waves' may represent the swells of ocean waves on a pleasant day.

3 / 3

❮ ❯

1. What is the title of the music? The title is 'La Mer (The Sea) - Play of Waves.'
2. Who composed the music? The composer is Claude Debussy.
3. What is 'Play of Waves' about? 'Play of Waves' may represent the swells of ocean waves on a pleasant day.

References

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

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