Claude Debussy

Syrinx

In 1913, Debussy set to music the final moments of the nymph Syrinx: Pursued by the god Pan, she is transformed into a reed from which Pan will carve his flute. From this myth emerges a solitary song, free and sensual—a whispered lament before vanishing. Here, everything is a matter of breath and line. The melody winds its way, hesitates, and stretches into long phrases of ever-changing tonality, steeped in chromatic hues and an almost improvised rubato. Nothing is straight: the music surges and fades, leaving it to the performer to breathe life into every nuance, in a constant refinement of sound and nuance. Transposed to the lower register, this melody gains an unexpected depth and warmth. The richness of the register envelops Debussy’s mystery with a new sensuality and lends this legendary whisper an even deeper resonance.