Debussy: Pour le piano, L 95

Introduction

Pour le piano (For the piano), L.95, is a suite for solo piano by Claude Debussy. The composition was finished and issued in 1901. Its premiere took place on 11 January 1902 in the Salle Érard for the Société Nationale de Musique, with Ricardo Viñes as the pianist.

It consists of three parts:

1. Prélude
2. Sarabande
3. Toccata

The prélude was dedicated to Debussy's student Mlle Worms de Romilly, who notes that the movement "tellingly evokes the gongs and music of Java".

The sarabande which dates from the winter of 1894 originally belonged to the series of Images oubliées, underlined by the fact that both works were dedicated to Yvonne Lerolle. This movement was later orchestrated by Maurice Ravel.

The toccata was dedicated to Nicolas Coronio, another student of Debussy.