Claude Debussy’s Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune is often cited as the true beginning of musical modernism. Inspired by a poem by Stéphane Mallarmé, the work drifts through hazy harmonies and sensuous orchestral colors, evoking a faun’s drowsy reflections on a warm afternoon. The piece opened the door to a new musical language with its floating flute solo and dissolving tonality.
In this performance, conductor Alexandre Bloch leads the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra in a luminous reading of Debussy’s score, recorded live at Lighthouse, Poole, on 9 April 2025.
📺 Watch below:
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