Description
What exactly is a faun and what does he do in the afternoon? Claude Debussy gives us a musical answer to this question by sending off the lecherous rural deity of fertility to have his pleasure with two sleeping nymphs. The bewitching sound of flutes and harps along with lilting melodies accompany the god while on the hunt. With its delectable, filigree themes, it is hardly surprising that this composition has continued to inspire choreographic interpretations since its conception. Composed, however, as a symphonic poem, the “Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune”, with its iridescent tonal colouring and varying moods, is a sheer delight to the ear alone.