"The essence of Debussy's musical personality is in the songs and they exhibit virtually every aspect of his art." — Oscar Thompson, Debussy: Man and Artist. Had Claude Debussy (1862–1918) been exclusively a composer of songs, his musical reputation would have been assured. Although his output was not large, he achieved a new style in the setting of poetry and poetic prose — an exquisite union of words and music characterized by innovation, simplicity, impeccable taste, and consummate workmanship. From such early favorites as "Beau Soir" and "Mandoline" his masterful later works, the composer achieved a new psychological penetration through understatement — a music precisely imagined yet fluid, superbly constructed yet untrammeled by the past.

This Dover volume contains a rich selection of 36 of Debussy's best songs, nearly a quarter century's worth of compositions that embody his exceptional empathy for poetry and his genius for expressing its essence in music. Contents include "Beau Soir," "Deux romances," "Mandoline," "Les Angelus," "Trois chansons de Bilitis," "Dans le jardin," "Cinq poemes de Baudelaire," and more. For singers, Debussy's songs offer special pleasure in their simplicity, making the song's message more easily conveyed. For pianists, the music presents interesting and independent melodies that contribute vastly to the atmosphere and expression of the text. For all lovers of art songs, those of Debussy are a brilliant and innovative addition to the genre. This volume, reproduced directly from original sheet music, makes them available at low cost to all devotees.