La cathédrale engloutie

"La cathédrale engloutie" (The Sunken Cathedral) is a musical composition by the French composer Claude Debussy for solo piano, published in 1910.

This piece is based on an ancient Breton myth in which a cathedral, submerged underwater off the coast of the Island of Ys, rises up from the sea on clear mornings when the water is transparent.

[3] The opening measures, marked pianissimo, introduce us to the first series of rising parallel fifth chords, outlining a G major pentatonic scale.

After the beginning section, Debussy gently brings the cathedral out of the water by modulating to B major, shaping the melody in a wave-like fashion, and including important narrative instructions in measure 16: Peu à peu sortant de la brume (Emerging from the fog little by little).

[6] Then, after a section marked Augmentez progressivement (Slowly growing), the cathedral has emerged and the grand organ is heard at a dynamic level of fortissimo (measures 28–41).

To attain these effects that reflect images of the castle, most performers use specific techniques with regards to pedaling and articulation to affect tone color.

The introduction of the piece (a1) features the G major pentatonic collection in ascending block chords evocative of organum chant with many parallel fifths.

The C major theme that was originally presented in the final (a3) section of A returns at the beginning of AI, this time pianissimo, not scored quite as thickly, and in a lower register over an oscillating 8th note figure in the bass.

For example, the first section is described as being “dans une brume doucement sonore,” or “in a sweetly sonorous fog.” Then, at bar 16, the markings say “peu à peu sortant de la brume,” or “little by little emerging from the fog.” This change in imagery (as well as the accompanying change in tonality) could represent the cathedral emerging from under the water.

It is a complete exploration of chordal sound that encompasses the entire range of the piano, and that includes one of Debussy's signature chords (a major tonic triad with added second and sixth scale degrees).

[11] Third, it shows Debussy's use of parallel harmony (the section beginning in measure 28, especially), which is defined as a coloration of the melodic line.

This is quite different from simple melodic doubling, like the thirds in "Voiles", or the fifths in La Mer, which are not usually heard alone without a significant accompanimental figure.

Parallel harmony forces the chords to be understood less with functional roots, and more as coloristic expansions of the melodic line.

Debussy's "La cathédrale engloutie" contains instances of one of the most significant techniques found in the music of the Impressionist period called parallelism.

[13] Debussy uses parallelism (also known as harmonic planing) in his prelude to dilute the sense of direction motion found in prior traditional progressions.

It may be noted that it took some time for Impressionist music to be appreciated, but the critics and the listening public eventually warmed to this experiment in harmonic freedom.

A transcription for solo organ was made by Léon Roques and Jean-Baptiste Robin in 2011 (recording Brilliant Classics 94233).

It appears in a cover version on the album Grand Guignol by John Zorn's band Naked City.

Sections of Debussy's piece are also used in the introduction and final of Renaissance's song At the Harbour, from their 1973 album Ashes Are Burning.

Isao Tomita arranged the piece for electronic synthesizer as part of his Snowflakes Are Dancing recording of 1973–1974.