Claude Debussy

The Interrupted Serenade

Taken from Debussy’s "Préludes", "La sérénade interrompue" (The Interrupted Serenade) is one of the composer’s lesser-known but most fascinating miniatures. It evokes a guitar serenade that is repeatedly interrupted by sudden, unexpected interjections and thrives on stark contrasts in mood—tender one moment, harsh the next—that keep both performers and audience on the edge of their seats. Several of its contrasting sections are wonderfully suited to the euphonium-tuba quartet, with the low brass instruments lending warmth and character to Debussy’s Spanish-tinged style. As in the composer’s other preludes, rubato is crucial: effortless for a solo pianist, it demands genuine teamwork from a quartet—and no small amount of ability to read each other’s minds!