Under the Wave off Kanagawa ( The Great Wave ) by Katsushika Hokusai, whose imagery inspired Debussy and adorned the first edition of La Mer . La Mer is Claude Debussy ’s orchestral masterpiece and one of the most influential symphonic works of the early twentieth century. As a child, Debussy dreamed of becoming a sailor, and the fascination with the sea—its movement, power, and ever-changing light—never left him. Rather than portraying the sea descriptively, Debussy sought to capture its essence through sound. His imagination was nourished not only by nature but also by visual art. He admired painters such as Turner and was deeply influenced by Japanese art. The famous woodblock print Under the Wave off Kanagawa , commonly known as The Great Wave , by Katsushika Hokusai , was chosen to adorn the cover of the first edition of La Mer , visually encapsulating the work’s elemental force. Debussy composed much of La Mer during the summer of 1904 while on vacation with Emma Bardac. The...
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