Pierrot

Pierrot Debussy's setting (1882) for voice and piano of the sixth poem by Banville from Les Cariatides: Livre troisième–Les Caprices en dixains à la manière de Clement Marot (Cariatids – Caprices in Dizains in the Style of Clément Marot, [1839 / 42]). The poem was written in July 1842. Debussy uses the melody of the French folksong »Au clair de la lune, mon ami Pierrot« (By the light of the moon, my friend Pierrot) as a major portion of the thematic material. In line 5, Debussy changes »En vain…