Nuages

pallopenna

I'm sure that this has been noted elsewhere, but fools rush in....

I've been studying and listening to the solo version of Nuages in the Unaccompanied Django and, if I'm not mistaken, there seems to be a conscious nod toward Debussy in both the Intro and Outro (as it were) to the piece. I think that this is more than a little cool.

Ando

Pallo, is he quoting something?

I've always thought some of Debussy's easier piano preludes were "guitaristic." Some of them have runs that lie very nicely on the fretboard. "Bruyeres" (Book II), for example.

Cheers,
Ando
Former Trained Piano Monkey

pallopenna

I think that he's quoting either one of the Images, or possibly something from the Suite Bergamesque (SP?). However, 1) I'm not sure - I need to listen to the specific pieces again to check, and 2) if he is quoting, it seems to be in very small phrases rather than complete thematic quotes. My guess is that Django was using Debussy's sense of harmony to construct several of the runs in Nuages in a general way. Either way, it's beautiful stuff.

MichaelHorowitz

This is really interesting.....in so many of those unaccompanied pieces it sounds like Django is quoting a classical piece. Albeniez, De Falla, Ravel, Debussy, etc. But I've never actually found a direct quote in any of it. My guess is that he heard these composers stuff, it knocked around in his head for a while and then came out in a Djangofied version that's not really a quote. But uses many of the stylistic conventions of these composers.

anyway, if you can find evidence of a direct quote that would cool!

'm

Ando

I've only got decent collections of piano music by Debussy and Poulenc. A fair bit of Faure', too. We know from Michael Dregni that Django was playing in tzigane orchestras off and on from 1931-34 or thereabouts, but that's a different repertoire.

Where did Django hear modern orchestral music? I'm intrigued by his performances in the Salle Pleyel. That is a *famous* room in French music. It was like Carnegie Hall. Perhaps Django heard things there?

MichaelHorowitz

Django was good friends with the classical guitar virtuoso Ida Presti. Apparently her bio (in French) has some reference to their relationship. I'd imagine Django got exposed to the classical guitar repertoire through her. I don't know about the orchestral stuff though...

'm

pallopenna

I haven't located the exact passage that Django might be quoting from Debussy yet, but here's a quote from the notes to Integrale 7:

“What musically moves me the most? There’s Ravel’s Valses Nobles et Sentimentales (...). I can’t forget Bach’s Toccata and Fugue where the music reaches my heart and makes me cry. Debussy is maybe the closest to my musical ideal as in him I can find the sensitivity and intelligence that I demand from all music”. Django Reinhardt

MichaelHorowitz

pallopenna wrote:

“What musically moves me the most? There’s Ravel’s Valses Nobles et Sentimentales (...). I can’t forget Bach’s Toccata and Fugue where the music reaches my heart and makes me cry. Debussy is maybe the closest to my musical ideal as in him I can find the sensitivity and intelligence that I demand from all music”. Django Reinhardt

Yeah...I have that quote in the in the Unaccompanied Django Book.

'm

Tele295

Wouldn't the Debussy and Ravel pieces be fairly akin to "pop" music as Django was coming up through the bal musette scene? I imagine he played a lot of classical melodies as part of the basic repertoire in 1920's Paris. There are references in Dregni's book about Django playing Strauss waltzes and Debussy pieces, so it's not too hard a stretch to believe that he picked up a lot of classical phrases and influences by osmosis.

I regret I am not yet familiar enough with his recorded catalog to be able to point a so-and-so track, at 1:33, there's a referece to symphony xyz....