Sheet Music: Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune

TitlePrélude à l'après-midi d'un faune
Alternate titlesPrelude to The Afternoon of a Faun
Opus numberL. 86
ComposerClaude Debussy (1862–1918)
InstrumentationFlute solo
KeyC-sharp minor
RangeC♮4–Bb6
Time signature9/8
Tempo33 BPM
Performance time6:55
Difficulty leveladvanced
Download printable scorePDF Sheet Music (122 kB) (preview)
Download audio tracksMIDI (change tempo/key) MP3 (3.3 MB)
Date added2010-10-07
Last updated2021-03-23
Download popularity index☆☆☆☆☆ 8.9 (very popular)
Categories
20th century, Symphonic poems

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Thursday 7 October 2010

Tune of the Day: Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune

by Claude Debussy

Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune (Prelude to “The Afternoon of a Faun”) is a symphonic poem for orchestra by Claude Debussy, first performed in Paris in 1894. The composition was inspired by the poem “L'Après-midi d'un faune” by Stéphane Mallarmé, and later formed the basis for a ballet choreographed by Vaslav Nijinsky. It is one of Debussy's most famous works and is considered a turning point in the history of music; composer and conductor Pierre Boulez even dates the awakening of modern music from this score, observing that “the flute of the faun brought new breath to the art of music.”

Pop star Michael Jackson named this piece his "favorite song", along with Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker Suite.