Martyrdom of St Sebastian

It was perhaps inevitable that developments in late 19th-century French visual art would soon find a corollary in music. The broad sweep of color begs for translation onto the musical canvas. No one has come to be identified with the impressionist style of music more than Claude Debussy (1866-1918). This is ironic—unfortunate, actually—for Debussy strongly disliked being labeled as an “impressionist composer.” As he put it, “I am trying to do ‘something different’ – in a way, realities. What the imbeciles call ‘impressionism’ is a term which is as poorly used as possible, particularly by art critics.” Debussy gravitated more toward the Symbolist aesthetic of hidden meanings and revealed truths. Objects, even sounds, are simply “perceptible surfaces created to represent their esoteric affinities with the primordial Ideals” (Jean Moréas, Symbolist Manifesto).
In 1911 Debussy accepted a commission to write a modern “mystery play” based on the legend of The Martyrdom of Saint Sebastian. The work was nominally intended to showcase the talents of ballerina and soprano Ida Rubinstein, one of the darlings of the Parisian arts scene. Two giants of the famed Ballets Russe also took part: Leon Bakst designed the sets, and Michael Fokine prepared the choreography. In the long run, it is perhaps Debussy’s luminous score that succeeded best. The premiere was not well-received, and Debussy shelved the score. Symphonic suites have been made from the material, and tonight we hear a new arrangement of two movements by Vladimir Mendelssohn, longtime violist with SMF and a professor at Debussy’s alma mater, the Paris Conservatory.

(c) Jason Stell