Solving performance problems in Debussy's: La Cathedrale Engloutie

American Music Teacher, August-Sept, 2006 by Janet Bass Smith

Debussy's La Cathedrale Engloutie--from Preludes, Book 1, written in 1910--is typical of the kind of tone poem found in all his Preludes. Debussy was inspired to write this piece by an ancient legend of the Cathedral of Ys, told by the people of the Brittany section of France. In the legend, the ocean engulfed the cathedral 1,500 years ago as punishment for the impious population. It was allowed to rise out of the water at sunrise to remind the people of their sins, then slowly return to the depths and enchanted sleep.

Daniel Ericourt notes in his Masterclasses in Debussy that on Mt. St. Michel, a very small island just off the Brittany coast of France, stands an imposing church towering 500 feet above the sea. Appropriately enough, this island is surrounded by quicksand. This church could not have inspired the legend because when it was built in 708 A.D. the legend had been in existence for about 300 years. However, it could easily have been part of Debussy's inspiration because his family made frequent excursions to the ocean when he was a child. (1)

Determining the Form

Important in the performance of any work is an overall formal analysis. In this case, four of the references consulted list a different form. Roy Howat, in his book Debussy in Proportion, says "with one exception this piece follows an arch form, ABCBA, with the main divisions at bars 28, 47, 72 and 84, and the two outer portions forming introduction and coda." He continues, "Although the sections are all thematically related, they are still clearly distinguished in other ways. The 27-bar introduction contains the one departure from a pure arch form--an anticipation in bars 7-13 of the central C section, so that this long introduction itself forms a ternary sequence." (2)

Bela Siki, in his book Piano Repertoire, A Guide to Interpretation and Performance, discusses the form as follows: "Presentation of two themes as motives (bars 1-27), First theme (bars 28-40), Transition (bars 40-46), Second theme (bars 47-67), Transition (bars 67-71), Recapitulation of first theme (bars 72-83), and Coda (bars 84-89)." (3)

Rather than following thematic indications, Ericourt divides the piece into three poetic interpretive sections as follows: "The first section of the piece (bars 1-15) may be taken to represent the early morning sea mists enshrouding the cathedral, and the rest of the piece its appearance (second section bars16-46), and eventual succumbing to the sea (third section, bars 47-89)." (4)

Maurice Hinson, in his 1992 edition of the Preludes calls the form binary (AB[A.sup.1][B.sup.1]) with the following analysis: part 1 (A): bars 1-27; part 2 (B): bars 28-46; part 1 ([A.sup.1]): bars 47-71; part 2 ([B.sup.1]): bars 72-89. (5) In his new collection of impressionistic music, however, Hinson agrees with Ericourt's analysis of three sections and uses almost the same words as Ericourt to describe the sections. (6) My own analysis is closer to Hinson's original analysis with the exception of an introduction and coda: intro: bars 1-6; A: bars 7-27; B: bars 28-46; [A.sup.1]: bars 47-71; [B.sup.1]: bars 72-83; coda: bars 84-89.

Decoding the Meter

One enigma in the performance of La Cathedrale Engloutie is Debussy's use of the meter signature 6/4=3/2. Traditionally, 6/4=3/2 means the quarter note remains constant so that a bar of six quarter notes is equal in overall length to a bar of three half notes. From measures 1-6 (Example 1) and 14-21 (Example 2), the rhythmic motion is primarily in quarter notes. From measures 7-13 and again from measures 22-83 (Example 3), the movement is in half notes. If the pianist sets a suitable slow tempo at the beginning, the effect at measure 7 and again at measure 22 is that of slowing down. What did Debussy intend?

The solution to this metrical dilemma may be found in Debussy's own performance of the work. Charles Burkhart discusses this in an article in the Fall 1968 issue of Piano Quarterly entitled, "Debussy Plays La Cathedrale Engloutie and Solves Metrical Mystery." (7) In 1913, three years after Debussy had composed and published La Cathedrale Engloutie, he made a Welte-Mignon player piano roll of the piece. In this performance, Debussy plays bars 7-13 and 22-83 at exactly double the speed of the remainder. The ending, bars 86-89, is less clear because Debussy makes a considerable rallentando in bars 84-85, and bar 86 (Example 4) could be considered as a return to the ordinary slower tempo from the rallentando. However, it can still be heard as the ratio of half note to quarter note with a ritard.

Although the argument can be made that a piano roll cannot guarantee exact reproduction of the original tempo--since its pitch is unaffected by playback speed--this does not apply to the discussion of changing tempi within the piece, because the proportions within the music would still be faithfully reproduced. Debussy's way of playing the piece, apart from being musically logical, was also known to some of his acquaintances, including Alfred Cortot who recorded the piece on disc with the same tempo changes. Burkhart discusses performances of seven pianists who have recorded this piece. Of that seven, only four interpreted it correctly, and those four had studied with or were close acquaintances of Debussy. Burkhart also mentions that Cortot's pupil, Gina Bachauer, plays it exactly right. (8) Howat notes that "Debussy's stepdaughter, Dolly Bardac, who was a resident in the Debussy household when the Preludes were composed, has confirmed in conversation that Debussy played those two sections at double speed." (9)