Children's Corner is a suite for solo piano by Claude Debussy, completed in 1908. In music, a suite is an organized set of instrumental or orchestral pieces normally performed at a single sitting. ... This article is about the modern musical instrument. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ...

It is dedicated to Debussy's daughter Emma-Claude—known as "Chou-Chou"—who was three years old at the time. The pieces are not intended to be played by children—rather they are meant to be evocative of childhood.

There are six pieces in the suite, each with an English-language title. This choice of language reflects Debussy's anglophilia, and may also be a nod towards Chou-Chou's English governess. The pieces are:

1. Doctor Gradus ad Parnassum
2. Jimbo's Lullaby [This may well be a mis-translation from the English: Jumbo's Lullaby]
3. Serenade for the Doll
4. The Snow is Dancing
5. The Little Shepherd
6. Golliwog's Cakewalk

The title of the first alludes to Muzio Clementi's collection of instructional piano pieces, Gradus ad Parnassum. The most familiar piece is the last, Golliwog's Cakewalk. The middle section of this cakewalk is jokingly interrupted on several occasions by quotations of the opening of Richard Wagner's opera Tristan und Isolde, marked "avec une grande émotion" (with great feeling). Each quotation is followed by a sort of musical chuckle in staccato chords: Muzio Clementi (January 24, 1752 – March 10, 1832) was a classical composer, and acknowledged as the first to write specifically for the piano. ... Gradus, or Gradus ad Parnassum (a step to Parnassus), is a Latin (or Greek) dictionary, in which the quantities of the vowels of the words are marked. ... Cakewalk is a traditional African American form of music and dance which originated among slaves in the US South. ... Richard Wagner Wilhelm Richard Wagner (May 22, 1813 in Leipzig – February 13, 1883 in Venice) was an influential German composer, conductor, music theorist, and essayist, primarily known for his groundbreaking symphonic-operas (or music dramas). His compositions are notable for their continuous contrapuntal texture, rich harmonies and orchestration, and elaborate... Tristan und Isolde is an opera in three acts by Richard Wagner. ... In musical notation, staccato indicates that notes are sounded in a detached and distinctly separate manner with their lengths shortened; that is, a short silence should be between the notes, without affecting the rhythm. ...

Children's Corner was published by Durand in 1908, and was given its world premiere in Paris by Harold Bauer on December 18 of that year. In 1911 an orchestration of the work by André Caplet received its premiere (on March 25) and subsequently published. A typical performance of the suite will last around 15 minutes. Image File history File links Tristan_quote_in_Childrens_Corner. ... Durand is the name of a few places in the United States: Durand, Illinois Durand, Michigan Durand, Wisconsin Durand (town), Wisconsin Durand Township, Illinois Durand Township, Minnesota Durand may also refer to a publisher of music. ... Harold Bauer (April 28, 1873 - March 12, 1951) was a noted pianist who began his musical career as a violinist. ... For the use of the term orchestration in computer science, see orchestration (computers) Orchestration or arrangement is the study and practice of arranging music for an orchestra or musical ensemble. ... Andr Caplet (Le Havre, November 23, 1878 - Neuilly-sur-Seine, April 22, 1925) was a French composer and conductor now known primarily through his orchestrations of works by Claude Debussy. ...

External links

• Downloadable sheet music of Debussy's piano music, including Children's Corner
• Printed score for Andre Caplet's orchestration of Children's Corner
• Complete piano recording of the suite by Tom Pascale