Claude Debussy - Rhapsodie Mauresque

Arrangement for saxophone and 2 pianos (2017)

In 1901, a rich American lady and amateur saxophonist named Elisa Hall commissioned Debussy to compose a work for saxophone and orchestra. The progress on the work went slowly, only seven years later the composer provided a copy of a manuscript titled 'Esquisse d'une Rhapsodie Mauresque pour orchestre et saxophone principal'. The score, written on four staffs with the addition of a few comments about the orchestration, was of the draft kind and still contained some empty bars. The result is a rather brilliant orchestral work with a mandatory saxophone part rather than a concertant work.

In spite of the pressing commissioner’s demands to provide a complete score, Debussy left it in its current form. Soon after his death, his editor Durand charged the composer’s friend Jean Roger-Ducasse – a composer himself – with completing the orchestration, before it was published in 1919 with the alternative title 'Rapsodie pour orchestre et saxophone alto'. In addition, a reduction for saxophone and piano was provided, from which the piano part is fairly difficult to perform.

The reduction for 2 pianos and saxophone was made in 2017 by Laurent Beeckmans. The saxophone part is left unchanged, except for the addition of a few lines in order to increase the brilliancy of the orchestral tutti. This version also contains some slight differences compared to the previously edited version, in order to recover some details found in the manuscript, subsequently altered by Roger-Ducasse.

The first public performance was given on the 19th December 2017 at the Maison de la Musique, Hoeilaert, Belgium, by Stéphane Vandesande and the Mahler Piano Duo (Laurent Beeckmans and Pieter Dhoore).

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Selected notes

This is a non exhausting list discussing some differences that are to be found between this arrangement and other versions. The sources are abreviated as follows: [DM] for the Debussy's manuscript, [OS] for the orchestral score (Durand 1919), [SP] for the saxophone and piano reduction (Durand 1919) and [S2P] for the present arrangement for saxophone and 2 pianos.

Title. The original title on [DM] is 'Esquisse d'une Rhapsodie Mauresque pour orchestre et saxophone principal'.

It is not clear why the evocative qualificative 'Mauresque' has been dropped in [OS] and [SP], as well as the 'h' of 'rhapsodie'.

Even if 'rapsodie' is an correct alternative spelling of that word in French, the spelling used by Debussy has been prefered for [S2P], keeping the greek root.

Bar 54. In [DM] and [OS] the accompanying rythm is given by 16th notes through the whole bar. [S2P] keeps the rythm suggested in [SP] (four 16th notes and a triplet) making a flowing link between the dance section and the return of the slow initial tempo.

Bars 55-57. In both 1919 versions, the F on the last chord of each bar gives a strange tonal effect, in conflicht with the pentatonic nature of the saxophone melody. In [S2P], the F is changed to E in order to keep the same modal mood as in bars 31-34. Strangely, in [OS], the horn is holding a E making the harmony rather confused.

Bar 86-94. In [DM] and [OS], the C# from the basson part are tied between bars 86 and 87, but not between bars 93-94. In [S2P] both passage are made similar.

Bar 114-115. These two bars begins with a diminished 7th chord leaving the tambourine alone, which is problematic for the choice of note in a piano reduction. Strangely, the choice has been made for a repeated B in [SP], wich is not present in the diminished 7th chord (D#-F#-A-C). In [S2P] the choice is done with F#-A wich are taken from the chord. On the second beat of 115, there is a harp glissando. In [OS], the scale is that of A major, a strange choice since it anticipates the harmony that is expected on the next beat. Furthermore, it does not match with the Am6 chord appearing at this place in [SP]. The confusion comes probably from [DM] where the beginning of the harp scale seems to be written on the treble clef (this point seems right when examining the place where the harp notes jump to the above staff). Having in mind that the accidental only needs to be written on the first octava of a harp scale, then it appears that Debussy wanted natural C's and D# in this scale, preserving the same harmony during both bars, hence the choice of the arpeggio in [S2P].

Bars 117 and 129. In [OS] and [SP] the dance theme appears without a tie, affecting his syncopated character :

However, in [DM] the tie is absent at bar 117 but not at bar 129. It could have been forgotten by Debussy at bar 117, since it is the only place where this theme mutation occurs.

In [S2P] the tie has been set at both places.

Bar 209. Strangely, the saxophone enters on the last 4th note of this bar in [OS] and [SP], cuting the first note of this motif that appears everywhere else with an upbeat of 2 notes. The second note has been added in [S2P]. Note that in [DM], the word "saxophone" appears only in the next bar (210).

Bar 226. There is some confusion at this place. In [OS], the viola part seems to appear a 2nd to low, as this bar should already contain the D sharp that is also played in the next bar by the 2nd horn. In [SP] at 230, the E sharp sould be D sharp.

Bar 268. In the small group of notes at the end of the bar, the E flat is absent in [OS] (oboes and clarinets).

Bar 307-310. This group of 4 bars in [DM] have been reduced to 3 in [OS] and [SP], breaking the binary structure of the whole passage beginning at bar 249. The missing bar has been restored in [S2P].