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Arabesque No. 1 in E major, CD 74/1; L. 66/1

18914 min

This guide follows Debussy’s Arabesque No. 1 in E major, CD 74/1; L. 66/1 (1891) in one part.

Recording: Hélène Grimaud (piano)

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Follow all 4 sections as they play

0:01–4:12

The first section (A) begins with parallel triads and rippling triplets, then opens out into arpeggios and a falling pentatonic line. The quieter B section arrives in A major, where the harmony shifts between modal and tonal colours. The opening (A) , rises in and sweeps up and down a large pentatonic scale before settling on E major. The closes quietly in the home .

  1. A
  2. B

Section boundaries in music are not always sharp; a transition may be felt over a pause or a held chord.

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In the catalog

Claude DebussyPianoModern periodE major

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