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Claude Debussy (1862–1918), one of the most important of all French composers, was a central figure in European music at the turn of the twentieth century. His musical style, characterized by the use of modal harmony, block chords and the whole-tone and pentatonic scales, and his colourful, often brilliant orchestral writing reveal a composer of striking originality and creativity. Although, like Ravel, he has been described as an ‘impressionist’ composer, the term is misleading (Debussy himself disliked it), especially since his works are underpinned by a strong formal sense.
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