Claude Debussy was one of the most innovative composers bridging the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, effectively marking the transition from romanticism to modernism. His music is sensuous and beautiful, while at the same time straying far outside the bounds of traditional harmony, the combination of the two aesthetics demonstrating an elusive, dreamy quality heretofore unknown in art music. Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune, otherwise known in English as Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun, was based on an erotic poem by Stephane Mallarme, and is sometimes viewed as a Tone Poem, though it's subtly interweaving, free form textures do not conform to anyone's idea of a story set to music. What it seems to attempt to do instead is to evoke an atmosphere, an environment, in which the listener is invited to lose themselves in a hazy cloud of blurring tonalities and the impression of a lovely afternoon in the forest, amongst the pleasures of nature. In fact, Debussy's music was often labeled impressionism because it seemed to impress images and scenes upon the listener, rather than explicitly evoke them. La Mer is a three part orchestral composition essaying the mysteries, joys, and turbulence of the sea. Debussy here pulls out all the orchestral stops, as he had an intense identification with and admiration of the sea. La Mer's lulls and intensities can seduce any listener into instantly falling in love with the sea, even if they have never seen it, as Debussy hadn't when he started writing it. Although it is not a form of exact programme music, it, like Prelude... before it, is a masterpiece of impressionism. La Mer suggests the sea, the waves, a storm, so masterfully that one sometimes feels as if they were actually experiencing them somehow, while listening. Debussy was one of the most important composers that beget the experimentalism of the 20th century, while still being considered a mainstream composer.
So, what is an Electronic Musician doing reviewing acoustic ethnic music from around the globe, all recorded from the 20s to the 40s? The answer is simple: great music is great music. Genres are really just labels, nothing more. Music is the art of sounds, harmonies, melodies, rhythms, cultures, individuals ,and ideas and if you are at all interested in traditional music of the world outside of the U.S. and U.K(and you should be)made before western pop music infiltrated much of the world, then this series is a treasure trove of sparkling gems. Every single one of the albums is filled to the brim with short pieces ranging from dance music(like the Romanian song above in the video) to virtuoso instrumental pieces to art music to folk songs and more. Sometimes, a stray western track pops up from time to time as a reminder that ethnic music also includes western music, but for the most part, this series concentrates on African, European, Asian, Latin, and other non-western countries. 3 of the discs offer music from specific areas, namely Eastern Africa, Northern Africa, and Central Asia and they are all terrific as well. To someone unaccustomed to music outside of the west, much of this music will sound strange indeed, but this is a good thing, as it exposes them to music that will challenge their ideas about the possibilities and the realities of global music culture. Sadly, much of the traditions that led to the creation of this music are being lost as our global culture assimilates and disposes of traditional musics made before industrial music production started taking over global culture in the 50's. These seem to be mostly field recordings from a bygone era, clouded in mist and legend, even as you listen to them. In other words, these are recordings to treasure and hold onto the rest of your life. The Secret Museum of Mankind series on Amazon
