La Mer

• Facsimile in high-resolution four-colour reproduction
• Scholarly commentary
• Lavish design and high-quality binding

Sensual instrumentation, subtle rhythms, flowing moods – with “La Mer”, his “three symphonic sketches”, Claude Debussy created a key work of musical impressionism.

Debussy’s autograph score served for the engraving of the first edition. Additional entries in a different hand (accidentals, performance instructions, notes for the layout) reflect this work step. At the same time, Debussy himself made corrections, once by pasting over a piece of paper, which is reproduced in the facsimile according to the original. The old and new versions can both be viewed via the fold-out piece of paper.

Renowned Debussy scholar Denis Herlin explains the history of the work’s genesis and the special features of the autograph. Matthias Auclair, head of the music department of the Bibliothèque nationale de France, presents the manuscript as part of the BnF collection.