August 22, 1862 - Saint-Germain-en-Laye - Achille-Claude Debussy is born
July 31, 1864 - Saint-Germain-en-Laye - Achille-Claude is christened
January(?) 1(?), 1868 - Paris - Manuel Debussy finds a job at the Paul Dupont printing shop. The family moves to Paris
July(?) 1(?), 1870 - Cannes - Claude and his mother flee from the Franco-Prussian War and arrive in Cannes to stay with Claude's aunt Clémentine. Claude has his first music lessons with the violinist Jean Cerutti
March 18, 1871 - Paris - The Commune of Paris starts - Manuel Debussy joins the National Guard to participate in it. Victorine Debussy moves with her four children to a small apartment in Paris
May 28, 1871 - Paris - End of the Commune of Paris - Manuel Debussy is arrested for his participation in the revolt
October(?) 1(?), 1871 - Paris - Claude starts piano lessons with Antoinette Mauté
December 1(?), 1871 - Paris - Manuel Debussy is sentenced to four years emprisonment by the "Conseil de Guerre"
October 22, 1872 - Paris - Claude is admitted to the Conservatoire of Paris after a year under Antoinette Mauté's teaching
January(?) 1(?), 1873 - Paris - After a year in prison, Manuel Debussy is released and his sentence suspended
September 1(?), 1873 - Paris - The Debussy family moves to a larger apartment in Paris
January 13, 1874 - Paris - Claude is praised by his teacher at the end of his examinations =(START)
July 1(?), 1874 - Paris - Honorable mention in another examination, after playing Chopin's Piano Concerto No.2
July 1(?), 1875 - Paris - Honorable mention in another examination, after playing Chopin's Piano Concerto No.1
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| First Public performance, 1876 |
March 18, 1876 - Chauny (Aisne) - Second public concert
June 1(?), 1876 - Paris - Awarded first medal in solfeggio exam
July 1(?), 1877 - Paris - Debussy wins the second prize in the piano examination, playing Schumann's Sonata in G minor
November 27, 1877 - Paris - Enters Émile Durand's harmony class
June 1(?), 1878 - Paris - Debussy fails a piano competition
June 20, 1879 - Paris - Piano and solfeggio examinations - Debussy fails to impress
July(?) 1(?), 1879 - Chenonceaux, E. of Tours - Debussy stays at the Château de Chenonceaux with Marguerite Wilson-Pelouze, a woman of substantial means and an ardent admirer of Wagner. He discovers the charms of a life of luxury, and decides to become a composer
October 1(?), 1879 - Paris - Debussy enters Auguste Bazille's accompaniment classes. Fails again at piano competition
December 1(?), 1879 - Paris - Debussy writes "Madrid, princesse des Espagnes" and "Ballade à la Lune"
June 1(?), 1880 - Paris - Debussy wins the first prize as an accompanist
July 20, 1880 - Interlaken, Switzerland - While vacationing at Interlaken, Nadezhda von Meck, patron of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, receives a Debussy into her entourage to accompany her children’s singing and to play duets with her
August 1(?), 1880 - Archaron (Villa Marguerite) - Nadezhda von Meck and family move to Archaron
August(?) 20(?) - Nice - Stop at Nice on their way to Florence
September 1(?), 1880 - Genoa(?) - Composes his first "Trio en sol majeur" for piano, violin and cello, for Nadezhda von Meck's ensemble
September(?) 10(?) - Naples - Stop at Naples on their way to Florence
September 19, 1880 - Florence (Villa Oppenheim) - Nadezhda von Meck and Debussy arrives in Florence. She sends Tchaikovsky a "Danse Bohémienne" written by Debussy
September 30, 1880 - Paris - Debussy finishes his 3-years studies with Émile Durand
December 24, 1880 - Paris - Debussy joins Ernest Guiraud's compostion class and becomes piano accompanist for Madame Moreau-Sainti's singing class. He attends César Franck's organ class for a few months as an auditor
January(?) 1(?), 1881 - Paris - Debussy sends his Symphonie en si mineur for piano duet to Madame von Meck. He gives private lessons to his first pupil, Georges Cuignache.
Debussy is a frequent visitor to the Vasnier household in Paris at 28, Rue de Constantinople. He composes a dozen songs for Marie Vasnier, with whom he falls in love, among them Caprice, Aimons-nous et dormons, Les Baisers, Rondel chinois, Jane, La fille aux cheveux de lin, Fleur des blés
July 15(?), 1881 - Moscow - In Moscow with Madame von Meck until the end of September
October 2, 1881 - Rome - Moves to Rome
January 8, 1882 - Rome(?) - Debussy completes Fantoches on a poem by Paul Verlaine in the latter's Fêtes galantes a collection he must have found at the Vasniers
May 12, 1882 - Paris - Public concert at Gustave-Alexandre Flaxland's, the piano maker, in Rue des Mathurins, where Debussy and Marie Vasnier give the first rendering of Fête galante and Les Roses, songs on poems by Théodore de Banville.
Unsuccessful competition entry for the Prix de Rome, with Le Printemps, sung by the Anatole de Ségur choir for female voices and orchestra
June 1(?), 1882 - Paris - Debussy publishes "Nuit d'étoiles", a song he wrote in 1880, and receives an honorable mention
July 11, 1882 - Paris - Second honorable mention on his Composition examination
August 27, 1882 - Paris - Debussy departs to Russia
September 8 - Plechtchevo, 50km from Moscow - Debussy arrives in Plechtchevo for another stay with Madame von Meck
October 3, 1882 - Vienna - Composes "En sourdine" and "Mandoline"
October 15(?), 1882 - Paris - Debussy and Madame von Meck arrive in Paris
November 1(?), 1882 - Vienna - Debussy and Madame von Meck return to Vienna
November 24, 1882 - Paris - Debussy returns to Paris
January 1(?), 1883 - Paris - Begins work on the comic Opera "Diane au Bois"
March 1(?), 1883 - Paris - Debussy becomes accompanist to the Amateur Choral Society La Concordia
May 5, 1883 - Rome - Admitted for the Prix de Rome competition
May 11, 1883 - Rome - Debussy ranks fourth with a piece for male voice and orchestra, named "Invocation"
May 19, 1883 - Rome - Admitted for the final competition for the Prix of Rome
June 13, 1883 - Rome - Debussy wins the second prize with the cantata "Le Gladiateur"
September 1(?), 1883 - Paris - Debussy discovers Paul Bourget‘s collection Les Aveux from which he extracts Romance, Musique and Paysage sentimental
January 10, 1884 - Paris - Concert with La Concordia
March 1, 1884 - Paris - Concert with La Concordia
April 8, 1884 - Paris - Concert with La Concordia
May 10, 1884 - Rome - Admitted for the preliminary competition for the Prix de Rome
May 16, 1884 - Rome - Debussy is ranked fourth with a piece for choir and orchestra named "Le Prientemps"
May 24, 1884 - Rome - Admitted for the final competition for the Prix of Rome
June 18, 1884 - Rome - Debussy wins the "Prix de Rome" with the cantata "L'enfant prodigue"
January 28, 1885 - Villa Medici, Rome - Debussy begins studying at the French academy in Rome - until 1887 - he hates the experience
April 27, 1885 - Paris - Short stay in Paris (until early May)
June 1(?) - Villa Medici, Rome - Debussy begins writing about the his desire to follow his own way
June 8, 1885 - Villa Medici, Rome - Debussy now enters the social whirl, playing his songs for the Hébert soirées. He makes friends with Gustave Popelin, a painter also studying at Villa Médicis, and works on Zuleima, a symphonic ode after Henri Heine, his first musical work sent back to Paris from Rome
July 8, 1885 - Dieppe - Debussy is granted leave of absence from Villa Médicis, at his request, for around two months. He stays in Dieppe with Marie Vasnier, without her husband knowing
September 2, 1885 - Fiumicino, Rome - Returns to Rome, torn by passion and jealousy. He spends a few days at the property of Count Primoli at Fiumicino. Marcel Baschet, a painter, also on a scholarship at the Villa Médicis, paints a pastel portrait of Debussy
January 7, 1886 - Rome - Debussy attends "Aïda" at the Apollo Theatre
January 8, 1886 - Villa Medici, Rome - Debussy meets Franz Liszt at a dinner offered by the Director of the French Academy
January 9, 1886 - Rome - Debussy visits Liszt
January 13, 1886 - Villa Medici, Rome - Debussy listens to Liszt play "Au bord d'une source" and his transcription of Schubert's "Ave Maria" and observes his pedal technique
July 1(?), 1886 - Paris - Leave of absence in Paris
February 1(?), 1887 - Villa Medici, Rome - Debussy writes the symphonic suite "Printemps". The academy criticizes his compositions as "Bizarre"
March 2, 1887 - Rome - Debussy departs to Paris
March 5, 1887 - Paris - Debussy arrives in Paris
March 13, 1887 - Paris - Debussy meets Paul Dukas at the Concerts Lamoureux. Both composers listen to Wagner's "Tristan et Isolde"
August 1(?), 1888 - Bayreuth - Trip to Bayreuth - Debussy attends the operas "Parsifal" and "Die Meistersinger"
December 1(?), 1888 - Rome - Debussy writes "La Damoiselle élue"
February 2, 1889 - Paris - Performance of the six "Ariettes oublièes" at the Société Nationale de Musique
March 1, 1889 - Paris - Performance of the piano duet "Petite Suite"
April 1(?), 1889 - Saint-Égonat (near Saint-Lunaire), Brittany - Debussy stays a couple of months with Michel and René Peter
June 1(?), 1889 - Paris - Universal exhibition (until July): Debussy discovers the Javanese gamelan, and the Annamite theatre, staged by a company from Saigon
June 22, 1889 - Paris - Debussy attends a presentation of Rimsky-Korsakov conducting his works at the Trocadéro
June 29, 1889 - Paris - Debussy attends another presentation of Rimsky-Korsakov conducting his works at the Trocadéro
August 1(?), 1889 - Bayreuth - Another trip to Bayreuth (in company of Paul Dukas, among others). Debussy attends "Tristan und Isolde"
August 30(?), 1889 - Rome - Begins writing the "Fantaisie"
February 1(?), 1890 - Paris - "Cinq Poèmes de Baudelaire" is published in Paris
April 21, 1890 - Paris - Debussy withraws his "Fantaisie pour piano et orchestre" at the Société Nationale de Musique, because the conductor, Vincent d'Indy, wanted to play only the first movement at the first performance of the piece
June 4, 1892 - Paris - Debussy signs as "Achille-Claude" for the last time, adopting the shorter "Claude" as his first name
May 6, 1893 - Paris - Debussy plays a version of "Das Rheingold" and "Die Walküre" for two pianos with Raoul Pugno at a public lecture by Catulle Mendès on the "Tétralogie" at the Paris Opera
May 11, 1893 - Paris - Debussy plays a version of "Das Rheingold" and "Die Walküre" for two pianos with Raoul Pugno at a public lecture by Catulle Mendès on the "Tétralogie" at the Paris Opera
May 12, 1893 - Paris - Attends the first performance in France of "Die Walküre"
May 17, 1893 - Paris - Maurice Maeterlinck presents the symbolist play "Pelléas et Mélisande" which the public dislikes, but Debussy loves it
May 18 - Paris - Debussy plays a version of "Das Rheingold" and "Die Walküre" for two pianos with Raoul Pugno at a public lecture by Catulle Mendès on the "Tétralogie" at the Paris Opera
May 30 - Luzancy - Stay at Ernest Chausson's property at Luzancy
June 12 - Luzancy - Stay at Ernest Chausson's property at Luzancy
August 1(?) - Paris(?) - Spends the day with Paul Dukas
August 10 - Saint-Cloud, Paris - Approaches Maurice Maeterlinck for permission to set "Pelléas", which he agrees
September 1(?) - Paris(?) - Debussy begins working on "Pelléas et Mélisande"
November 6, 1893 - Ghent, Belgium - Debussy makes a trip to Belgium. Meets violinist Eugène Ysaÿe in Brussels and Maurice Maeterlinck in Ghent
March 1, 1894 - Brussels - Debussy Festival in Brussels. He plays with the singer Thérèse Roger
August 17, 1895 - Paris(?) - Debussy finishes the short score of "Pelléas et Mélisande"
February 2, 1897 - Paris(?) - Attends a banquet honouring Mallarmé. Meets poet José-Maria de Herédia
October 19, 1899 - Paris - Debussy marries Rosalie Texier, a fashion model, with Erik Satie as a witness
March 5, 1901 - Paris - Opéra-Comique accepts "Pelléas et Mélisande" and gives Debussy a written promise to perform the opera the following season
July 1, 1901 - Paris(?) - Debussy starts writing as a music critic for the "Revue Blanche" under the pseudonym "Monsieur Croche"
November 30, 1901 - Paris(?) - Ricardo Viñes plays for the first time at Debussy's house, the start of a 10 year collaboration
January 13, 1902 - Paris - Rehearsals of "Pelléas et Mélisande" begin
April 30, 1902 - Paris - Premiere of the Opera "Pelléas et Mélisande" at the Opéra-Comique
July 12, 1902 - London - Trip to London. Debussy attends a performance of Shakespeare's "Hamlet"
July 20, 1902 - Paris - Returns from London
July 24, 1902 - Bichain - Stay at Bichain
September 15, 1902 - Paris - Back in Paris
April 23, 1903 - London - Second trip to London
May 3, 1903 - Paris - Back in Paris
July 10, 1903 - Bichain - Stay at Bichain
October 1, 1903 - Paris - Back in Paris
October 1, 1903 - Debussy meets Emma Bardac, wife of Sigismond Bardac, a parisian banker
January 16, 1904 - Paris(?) - Concert at Princess Cystria's apartments
January 22, 1904 - Paris(?) - Jean Lorrain, a columnist specializing in gossip about the smart and wealthy, publishes an article strongly in favour of the composer, entitled Les Pelléastres, in Le Journal, setting the worldly seal of approval on Debussy's work
July 15, 1904 - Jersey Island - Debussy puts Lilly on a train to her parents in Bichain, and secretly takes Bardac to Jersey for a holiday
August 11, 1904 - Dieppe - Debussy writes a letter to Rosalie Texier, informing her of the separation
October 14, 1904 - Paris - Rosalie Texier attempts suicide. Scandal breaks out and Debussy looses friends
July 24, 1905 - Eastbourne - Debussy and Emma Bardac flee to England, via Jersey
August 2, 1905 - (While in Eastbourne) - The divorce from Lilly is finalized
August 30, 1905 - Eastbourne - Debussy and Emma Bardac depart from Eastbourne
September 10(?), 1905 - Paris - Debussy and Emma return to Paris
October 30, 1905 - Paris - Claude-Emma, Debussy's daughter, is born
March 25, 1906 - Paris - Lunch with Richard Strauss, who wanted to meet him
August 8, 1906 - Dieppe - Stay in Dieppe to rest
September 1, 1906 - Paris - Back in Paris
January 9, 1907 - Brussels - Supervises the first belgian production of his opera at the Théâtre de la Monnaie
April 19, 1907 - Frankfurt - Supervises the german production of his opera
August 1(?), 1907 - Pourville - Holidays at Pourville
September 15(?), 1907 - Paris - Back in Paris
January 12, 1908 - Paris - Makes his conducting debut with "La Mer"
January 20, 1908 - Paris - Debussy marries Emma Bardac
January 26, 1908 - Paris - Debussy conducts "La Mer" again
February 1, 1908 - London - Debussy conducts "La Mer" and "Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune" at the Queen's Hall
February 19, 1908 - New York City - Supervises the first american production of his opera at the Manhattan Opera House
April 2, 1908 - Milan - Supervises the first italian production of his opera at the La Scala, with Arturo Toscanini conducting
May 21, 1908 - Paris - Attends the second performance of "Boris Godunov"
January(?) 1(?), 1909 - Paris - Fauré invites Debussy to become a member of the advisory board of the Conservatoire, and the young André Caplet becomes his collaborator and confidant
February 27, 1909 - London - Debussy conducts "La Mer" and "Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune" at the Queen's Hall. He meets Jean Sibelius
March(?) 1(?), 1909 - Paris - Debussy is diagnosed with Rectal Cancer
April 21, 1909 - Paris - Conducts "La Damoiselle élue" and "Trois Chansons de Charles d'Orléans"
May 21, 1909 - London - Supervises the first british production of his opera at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden
December 1(?), 1909 - Paris - Debussy begins writing Book I of the "Préludes"
January 16, 1910 - Paris - Debussy completes "La Fille aux chevaux de lin"
February 1(?), 1910 - Paris - Debussy finishes Book I of the "Préludes"
March 2, 1910 - Paris - Conducts "Rondes de Printemps"
April 17, 1910 - Paris - Debussy attends the performance of Mahler's Symphony No.2, conducted by the composer
November 29, 1910 - Vienna - Trip to Vienna to conduct his own works. Attends "Carmen"
December 7, 1910 - Budapest - Debussy departs to Paris
December 9, 1910 - Paris - Back in Paris
March 5, 1911 - Paris - Conducts the orchestral version of "Trois Ballades de François Villon"
March 25, 1911 - Paris - Conducts the orchestral version of "Trois Ballades de François Villon"
June 19, 1911 - Paris - Departs for Turin with Emma and his daughter
July(?) 1(?), 1911 - Houlgate - Holidays at Houlgate
February 26, 1912 - Paris - Debussy is visited by the italian composer Alfredo Casella
December 1(?), 1912 - Paris - Debussy begins writing Book II of the "Préludes"
January 26, 1913 - Paris - Conducts "Images pour orchestre" for the first time
March 5, 1913 - Paris - Debussy plays his first preludes
April 2, 1913 - Paris - Debussy conducts "Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune" at the inauguration of Théâtre des Champs-Élysées
April 19, 1913 - Paris - Debussy finishes Book II of the "Préludes"
December 1, 1913 - Paris - Trip to Moscow and Saint-Petersburg for a concert tour
December 16, 1913 - Paris - Back in Paris
February 18, 1914 - Rome - Trip to Rome to conduct some of his works
February 24, 1914 - Paris - Back in Paris
February 26, 1914 - Amsterdam - Trip to Amsterdam to conduct some of his works
March 2, 1914 - Paris - Back in Paris
July 16, 1914 - London - Trip to London for a concert at Queen's Hall
July 19, 1914 - Paris - Back in Paris
August 1, 1914 - Paris - General mobilization in Paris
September 4, 1914 - Angers - Debussy and family take refuge in Angers because of german offensive
July 12, 1915 - Pourville - Stay at Pourville with his family
July 23, 1915 - Pourville - Debussy begins writing his "Études"
September 29, 1915 - Pourville - Debussy finishes writing his "Études"
October 12, 1915 - Paris - Back in Paris
December 7, 1915 - Paris - Debussy undergoes one of the first colostomies ever made
September 11, 1916 - Moulleau (near Arcachon) - Stay at Molleau with his family
October 23, 1916 - Paris - Back in Paris
December 21, 1916 - Paris - Debussy plays "En Blanc et en noir" for a charity
March 24, 1917 - Paris - Debussy plays some of his pieces with Jacques Salmon and Claire Croiza
May 5, 1917 - Paris - Performance of the "Sonate pour violon et piano"
July 3, 1917 - Saint-Jean-de-Luz - Stay at Saint-Jean-de-Luz
September 11, 1917 - Biarritz - Debussy arrives at Biarritz for his last two concerts
September 14, 1917 - Saint-Jean-de-Luz - Back in Saint-Jean-de-Luz
October 14, 1917 - Paris - Debussy returns to Paris
November 6, 1917 - Paris - Claude Debussy is bedridden definitively
March 25, 1918 - Paris - Claude Debussy dies, aged 55 =(END)
Bibliography
WALSH, Stephen - Debussy: A Painter in Sound
www.debussy,fr
June 1(?), 1876 - Paris - Awarded first medal in solfeggio exam
July 1(?), 1877 - Paris - Debussy wins the second prize in the piano examination, playing Schumann's Sonata in G minor
November 27, 1877 - Paris - Enters Émile Durand's harmony class
June 1(?), 1878 - Paris - Debussy fails a piano competition
June 20, 1879 - Paris - Piano and solfeggio examinations - Debussy fails to impress
July(?) 1(?), 1879 - Chenonceaux, E. of Tours - Debussy stays at the Château de Chenonceaux with Marguerite Wilson-Pelouze, a woman of substantial means and an ardent admirer of Wagner. He discovers the charms of a life of luxury, and decides to become a composer
October 1(?), 1879 - Paris - Debussy enters Auguste Bazille's accompaniment classes. Fails again at piano competition
December 1(?), 1879 - Paris - Debussy writes "Madrid, princesse des Espagnes" and "Ballade à la Lune"
June 1(?), 1880 - Paris - Debussy wins the first prize as an accompanist
July 20, 1880 - Interlaken, Switzerland - While vacationing at Interlaken, Nadezhda von Meck, patron of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, receives a Debussy into her entourage to accompany her children’s singing and to play duets with her
August 1(?), 1880 - Archaron (Villa Marguerite) - Nadezhda von Meck and family move to Archaron
August(?) 20(?) - Nice - Stop at Nice on their way to Florence
September 1(?), 1880 - Genoa(?) - Composes his first "Trio en sol majeur" for piano, violin and cello, for Nadezhda von Meck's ensemble
September(?) 10(?) - Naples - Stop at Naples on their way to Florence
September 19, 1880 - Florence (Villa Oppenheim) - Nadezhda von Meck and Debussy arrives in Florence. She sends Tchaikovsky a "Danse Bohémienne" written by Debussy
September 30, 1880 - Paris - Debussy finishes his 3-years studies with Émile Durand
December 24, 1880 - Paris - Debussy joins Ernest Guiraud's compostion class and becomes piano accompanist for Madame Moreau-Sainti's singing class. He attends César Franck's organ class for a few months as an auditor
January(?) 1(?), 1881 - Paris - Debussy sends his Symphonie en si mineur for piano duet to Madame von Meck. He gives private lessons to his first pupil, Georges Cuignache.
Debussy is a frequent visitor to the Vasnier household in Paris at 28, Rue de Constantinople. He composes a dozen songs for Marie Vasnier, with whom he falls in love, among them Caprice, Aimons-nous et dormons, Les Baisers, Rondel chinois, Jane, La fille aux cheveux de lin, Fleur des blés
July 15(?), 1881 - Moscow - In Moscow with Madame von Meck until the end of September
October 2, 1881 - Rome - Moves to Rome
January 8, 1882 - Rome(?) - Debussy completes Fantoches on a poem by Paul Verlaine in the latter's Fêtes galantes a collection he must have found at the Vasniers
May 12, 1882 - Paris - Public concert at Gustave-Alexandre Flaxland's, the piano maker, in Rue des Mathurins, where Debussy and Marie Vasnier give the first rendering of Fête galante and Les Roses, songs on poems by Théodore de Banville.
Unsuccessful competition entry for the Prix de Rome, with Le Printemps, sung by the Anatole de Ségur choir for female voices and orchestra
June 1(?), 1882 - Paris - Debussy publishes "Nuit d'étoiles", a song he wrote in 1880, and receives an honorable mention
July 11, 1882 - Paris - Second honorable mention on his Composition examination
August 27, 1882 - Paris - Debussy departs to Russia
September 8 - Plechtchevo, 50km from Moscow - Debussy arrives in Plechtchevo for another stay with Madame von Meck
October 3, 1882 - Vienna - Composes "En sourdine" and "Mandoline"
October 15(?), 1882 - Paris - Debussy and Madame von Meck arrive in Paris
November 1(?), 1882 - Vienna - Debussy and Madame von Meck return to Vienna
November 24, 1882 - Paris - Debussy returns to Paris
January 1(?), 1883 - Paris - Begins work on the comic Opera "Diane au Bois"
March 1(?), 1883 - Paris - Debussy becomes accompanist to the Amateur Choral Society La Concordia
May 5, 1883 - Rome - Admitted for the Prix de Rome competition
May 11, 1883 - Rome - Debussy ranks fourth with a piece for male voice and orchestra, named "Invocation"
May 19, 1883 - Rome - Admitted for the final competition for the Prix of Rome
June 13, 1883 - Rome - Debussy wins the second prize with the cantata "Le Gladiateur"
September 1(?), 1883 - Paris - Debussy discovers Paul Bourget‘s collection Les Aveux from which he extracts Romance, Musique and Paysage sentimental
January 10, 1884 - Paris - Concert with La Concordia
March 1, 1884 - Paris - Concert with La Concordia
April 8, 1884 - Paris - Concert with La Concordia
May 10, 1884 - Rome - Admitted for the preliminary competition for the Prix de Rome
May 16, 1884 - Rome - Debussy is ranked fourth with a piece for choir and orchestra named "Le Prientemps"
May 24, 1884 - Rome - Admitted for the final competition for the Prix of Rome
 |
| L'enfant prodigue, 1884 |
January 28, 1885 - Villa Medici, Rome - Debussy begins studying at the French academy in Rome - until 1887 - he hates the experience
April 27, 1885 - Paris - Short stay in Paris (until early May)
 |
| Debussy, Rome - 1885 |
June 8, 1885 - Villa Medici, Rome - Debussy now enters the social whirl, playing his songs for the Hébert soirées. He makes friends with Gustave Popelin, a painter also studying at Villa Médicis, and works on Zuleima, a symphonic ode after Henri Heine, his first musical work sent back to Paris from Rome
July 8, 1885 - Dieppe - Debussy is granted leave of absence from Villa Médicis, at his request, for around two months. He stays in Dieppe with Marie Vasnier, without her husband knowing
September 2, 1885 - Fiumicino, Rome - Returns to Rome, torn by passion and jealousy. He spends a few days at the property of Count Primoli at Fiumicino. Marcel Baschet, a painter, also on a scholarship at the Villa Médicis, paints a pastel portrait of Debussy
January 7, 1886 - Rome - Debussy attends "Aïda" at the Apollo Theatre
January 8, 1886 - Villa Medici, Rome - Debussy meets Franz Liszt at a dinner offered by the Director of the French Academy
January 9, 1886 - Rome - Debussy visits Liszt
 |
| Villa Medicis, Rome, at the time of Debussy |
July 1(?), 1886 - Paris - Leave of absence in Paris
February 1(?), 1887 - Villa Medici, Rome - Debussy writes the symphonic suite "Printemps". The academy criticizes his compositions as "Bizarre"
March 2, 1887 - Rome - Debussy departs to Paris
March 5, 1887 - Paris - Debussy arrives in Paris
March 13, 1887 - Paris - Debussy meets Paul Dukas at the Concerts Lamoureux. Both composers listen to Wagner's "Tristan et Isolde"
August 1(?), 1888 - Bayreuth - Trip to Bayreuth - Debussy attends the operas "Parsifal" and "Die Meistersinger"
December 1(?), 1888 - Rome - Debussy writes "La Damoiselle élue"
February 2, 1889 - Paris - Performance of the six "Ariettes oublièes" at the Société Nationale de Musique
March 1, 1889 - Paris - Performance of the piano duet "Petite Suite"
April 1(?), 1889 - Saint-Égonat (near Saint-Lunaire), Brittany - Debussy stays a couple of months with Michel and René Peter
June 1(?), 1889 - Paris - Universal exhibition (until July): Debussy discovers the Javanese gamelan, and the Annamite theatre, staged by a company from Saigon
June 22, 1889 - Paris - Debussy attends a presentation of Rimsky-Korsakov conducting his works at the Trocadéro
June 29, 1889 - Paris - Debussy attends another presentation of Rimsky-Korsakov conducting his works at the Trocadéro
August 1(?), 1889 - Bayreuth - Another trip to Bayreuth (in company of Paul Dukas, among others). Debussy attends "Tristan und Isolde"
August 30(?), 1889 - Rome - Begins writing the "Fantaisie"
February 1(?), 1890 - Paris - "Cinq Poèmes de Baudelaire" is published in Paris
April 21, 1890 - Paris - Debussy withraws his "Fantaisie pour piano et orchestre" at the Société Nationale de Musique, because the conductor, Vincent d'Indy, wanted to play only the first movement at the first performance of the piece
June 4, 1892 - Paris - Debussy signs as "Achille-Claude" for the last time, adopting the shorter "Claude" as his first name
 |
| Debussy plays the piano at Ernest Chausson's property in Luzancy, August 1893 |
May 11, 1893 - Paris - Debussy plays a version of "Das Rheingold" and "Die Walküre" for two pianos with Raoul Pugno at a public lecture by Catulle Mendès on the "Tétralogie" at the Paris Opera
May 12, 1893 - Paris - Attends the first performance in France of "Die Walküre"
May 17, 1893 - Paris - Maurice Maeterlinck presents the symbolist play "Pelléas et Mélisande" which the public dislikes, but Debussy loves it
May 18 - Paris - Debussy plays a version of "Das Rheingold" and "Die Walküre" for two pianos with Raoul Pugno at a public lecture by Catulle Mendès on the "Tétralogie" at the Paris Opera
May 30 - Luzancy - Stay at Ernest Chausson's property at Luzancy
June 12 - Luzancy - Stay at Ernest Chausson's property at Luzancy
August 1(?) - Paris(?) - Spends the day with Paul Dukas
August 10 - Saint-Cloud, Paris - Approaches Maurice Maeterlinck for permission to set "Pelléas", which he agrees
September 1(?) - Paris(?) - Debussy begins working on "Pelléas et Mélisande"
November 6, 1893 - Ghent, Belgium - Debussy makes a trip to Belgium. Meets violinist Eugène Ysaÿe in Brussels and Maurice Maeterlinck in Ghent
March 1, 1894 - Brussels - Debussy Festival in Brussels. He plays with the singer Thérèse Roger
August 17, 1895 - Paris(?) - Debussy finishes the short score of "Pelléas et Mélisande"
February 2, 1897 - Paris(?) - Attends a banquet honouring Mallarmé. Meets poet José-Maria de Herédia
October 19, 1899 - Paris - Debussy marries Rosalie Texier, a fashion model, with Erik Satie as a witness
March 5, 1901 - Paris - Opéra-Comique accepts "Pelléas et Mélisande" and gives Debussy a written promise to perform the opera the following season
July 1, 1901 - Paris(?) - Debussy starts writing as a music critic for the "Revue Blanche" under the pseudonym "Monsieur Croche"
November 30, 1901 - Paris(?) - Ricardo Viñes plays for the first time at Debussy's house, the start of a 10 year collaboration
January 13, 1902 - Paris - Rehearsals of "Pelléas et Mélisande" begin
April 30, 1902 - Paris - Premiere of the Opera "Pelléas et Mélisande" at the Opéra-Comique
July 12, 1902 - London - Trip to London. Debussy attends a performance of Shakespeare's "Hamlet"
July 20, 1902 - Paris - Returns from London
July 24, 1902 - Bichain - Stay at Bichain
September 15, 1902 - Paris - Back in Paris
April 23, 1903 - London - Second trip to London
May 3, 1903 - Paris - Back in Paris
July 10, 1903 - Bichain - Stay at Bichain
October 1, 1903 - Paris - Back in Paris
October 1, 1903 - Debussy meets Emma Bardac, wife of Sigismond Bardac, a parisian banker
January 16, 1904 - Paris(?) - Concert at Princess Cystria's apartments
January 22, 1904 - Paris(?) - Jean Lorrain, a columnist specializing in gossip about the smart and wealthy, publishes an article strongly in favour of the composer, entitled Les Pelléastres, in Le Journal, setting the worldly seal of approval on Debussy's work
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| Jersey Island, 1904 |
August 11, 1904 - Dieppe - Debussy writes a letter to Rosalie Texier, informing her of the separation
October 14, 1904 - Paris - Rosalie Texier attempts suicide. Scandal breaks out and Debussy looses friends
July 24, 1905 - Eastbourne - Debussy and Emma Bardac flee to England, via Jersey
August 2, 1905 - (While in Eastbourne) - The divorce from Lilly is finalized
August 30, 1905 - Eastbourne - Debussy and Emma Bardac depart from Eastbourne
September 10(?), 1905 - Paris - Debussy and Emma return to Paris
October 30, 1905 - Paris - Claude-Emma, Debussy's daughter, is born
March 25, 1906 - Paris - Lunch with Richard Strauss, who wanted to meet him
August 8, 1906 - Dieppe - Stay in Dieppe to rest
September 1, 1906 - Paris - Back in Paris
January 9, 1907 - Brussels - Supervises the first belgian production of his opera at the Théâtre de la Monnaie
April 19, 1907 - Frankfurt - Supervises the german production of his opera
August 1(?), 1907 - Pourville - Holidays at Pourville
September 15(?), 1907 - Paris - Back in Paris
January 12, 1908 - Paris - Makes his conducting debut with "La Mer"
January 20, 1908 - Paris - Debussy marries Emma Bardac
January 26, 1908 - Paris - Debussy conducts "La Mer" again
February 1, 1908 - London - Debussy conducts "La Mer" and "Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune" at the Queen's Hall
February 19, 1908 - New York City - Supervises the first american production of his opera at the Manhattan Opera House
April 2, 1908 - Milan - Supervises the first italian production of his opera at the La Scala, with Arturo Toscanini conducting
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| Debussy, June 1908 |
January(?) 1(?), 1909 - Paris - Fauré invites Debussy to become a member of the advisory board of the Conservatoire, and the young André Caplet becomes his collaborator and confidant
February 27, 1909 - London - Debussy conducts "La Mer" and "Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune" at the Queen's Hall. He meets Jean Sibelius
March(?) 1(?), 1909 - Paris - Debussy is diagnosed with Rectal Cancer
April 21, 1909 - Paris - Conducts "La Damoiselle élue" and "Trois Chansons de Charles d'Orléans"
May 21, 1909 - London - Supervises the first british production of his opera at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden
December 1(?), 1909 - Paris - Debussy begins writing Book I of the "Préludes"
January 16, 1910 - Paris - Debussy completes "La Fille aux chevaux de lin"
February 1(?), 1910 - Paris - Debussy finishes Book I of the "Préludes"
March 2, 1910 - Paris - Conducts "Rondes de Printemps"
April 17, 1910 - Paris - Debussy attends the performance of Mahler's Symphony No.2, conducted by the composer
November 29, 1910 - Vienna - Trip to Vienna to conduct his own works. Attends "Carmen"
December 7, 1910 - Budapest - Debussy departs to Paris
December 9, 1910 - Paris - Back in Paris
March 5, 1911 - Paris - Conducts the orchestral version of "Trois Ballades de François Villon"
March 25, 1911 - Paris - Conducts the orchestral version of "Trois Ballades de François Villon"
June 19, 1911 - Paris - Departs for Turin with Emma and his daughter
July(?) 1(?), 1911 - Houlgate - Holidays at Houlgate
February 26, 1912 - Paris - Debussy is visited by the italian composer Alfredo Casella
December 1(?), 1912 - Paris - Debussy begins writing Book II of the "Préludes"
January 26, 1913 - Paris - Conducts "Images pour orchestre" for the first time
March 5, 1913 - Paris - Debussy plays his first preludes
April 2, 1913 - Paris - Debussy conducts "Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune" at the inauguration of Théâtre des Champs-Élysées
April 19, 1913 - Paris - Debussy finishes Book II of the "Préludes"
December 1, 1913 - Paris - Trip to Moscow and Saint-Petersburg for a concert tour
December 16, 1913 - Paris - Back in Paris
February 18, 1914 - Rome - Trip to Rome to conduct some of his works
February 24, 1914 - Paris - Back in Paris
February 26, 1914 - Amsterdam - Trip to Amsterdam to conduct some of his works
March 2, 1914 - Paris - Back in Paris
July 16, 1914 - London - Trip to London for a concert at Queen's Hall
July 19, 1914 - Paris - Back in Paris
August 1, 1914 - Paris - General mobilization in Paris
September 4, 1914 - Angers - Debussy and family take refuge in Angers because of german offensive
July 12, 1915 - Pourville - Stay at Pourville with his family
July 23, 1915 - Pourville - Debussy begins writing his "Études"
September 29, 1915 - Pourville - Debussy finishes writing his "Études"
October 12, 1915 - Paris - Back in Paris
December 7, 1915 - Paris - Debussy undergoes one of the first colostomies ever made
September 11, 1916 - Moulleau (near Arcachon) - Stay at Molleau with his family
October 23, 1916 - Paris - Back in Paris
December 21, 1916 - Paris - Debussy plays "En Blanc et en noir" for a charity
March 24, 1917 - Paris - Debussy plays some of his pieces with Jacques Salmon and Claire Croiza
May 5, 1917 - Paris - Performance of the "Sonate pour violon et piano"
July 3, 1917 - Saint-Jean-de-Luz - Stay at Saint-Jean-de-Luz
September 11, 1917 - Biarritz - Debussy arrives at Biarritz for his last two concerts
September 14, 1917 - Saint-Jean-de-Luz - Back in Saint-Jean-de-Luz
October 14, 1917 - Paris - Debussy returns to Paris
November 6, 1917 - Paris - Claude Debussy is bedridden definitively
March 25, 1918 - Paris - Claude Debussy dies, aged 55 =(END)
Bibliography
WALSH, Stephen - Debussy: A Painter in Sound
www.debussy,fr
yoo debussy had rectal cancer ?!?!
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