Nocturnes (Debussy) facts for kids

This article is about the orchestral suite by Claude Debussy. For other musical compositions called "Nocturne", see Nocturne.

Nocturnes is a famous piece of music for an orchestra. It was written by a French composer named Claude Debussy. This music has three main parts, which are called movements. In the last movement, a female chorus also sings. Debussy finished writing "Nocturnes" on December 15, 1899.

What Are Debussy's Nocturnes About?

The three movements in "Nocturnes" each have their own special title. They are:

• I. Nuages (which means "Clouds" in French)
• II. Fêtes (which means "Festivals")
• III. Sirènes (which means "Sirens")

Much of Debussy's music, including his "Nocturnes," was inspired by a style of painting called Impressionist art. The word "nocturne" usually means a piece of music inspired by the night. However, Debussy's "Nocturnes" are different. They try to capture how light looks in Impressionist paintings.

The Story of Each Movement

Nuages is about clouds floating slowly across the sky. The music makes you think of soft grey colors with touches of white. It sounds calm and peaceful, like watching clouds drift by.

Fêtes is a very lively and exciting piece. It paints a picture of a big celebration with people dancing. You can hear a parade getting closer and closer. The music of the parade mixes with the dancing music. Then, it slowly fades away as the parade moves into the distance.

Sirènes describes the ocean and all the different sounds it makes. You can hear the many rhythms of the sea. The music also makes you imagine moonlight shining on the water. You might even hear the mysterious, laughing song of the Sirens from ancient stories.

When Was Nocturnes First Played?

The Lamoureux Orchestra first played Nuages and Fêtes in Paris in 1900. A year later, they performed all three movements for the first time. Some people found the music a bit hard to understand at first. But today, "Nocturnes" is one of Debussy’s most loved pieces.

The whole piece of music lasts for about 22 minutes.

Images for kids

• 

  Nocturne in Black and Gold – The Falling Rocket from a series of impressionist paintings by Whistler

• 

  Fêtes uses 15
  8 time (shown subdivided into 9
  8 and 6
  8)

See also

In Spanish: Nocturnos (Debussy) para niños