Claude Achille Debussy

Debussy, Claude Achille (1862–1918), French composer. Although influenced by Wagner in his early years, he later developed a highly original style of musical impressionism, based on his own revolutionary thinking about harmony and his studies of Asian music. Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun (1894), the three Nocturnes (1899), and La Mer (1905) are among Debussy's most imaginatively scored orchestral works. Pelléas et Mélisande (1902) is a landmark in operatic history. His pieces for piano include Reflets dans l'eau, Jardins sous la pluie, Poissons d'or, 2 sets of preludes, and 12 études.