Composer Claude Debussy was born August 22, 1862.

Claude Debussy was born in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France, the eldest of five children. His father, Manuel-Achille Debussy, owned a shop where he sold china and crockery, and his mother, Victorine Manoury Debussy, was a seamstress. Debussy began piano lessons there at the age of seven. During the summers of 1880, 1881, and 1882, Debussy accompanied the wealthy patroness of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, as she traveled with her family in Europe and Russia.



Photo by Gerschel



Jeux (Games) is the last work for orchestra written by Claude Debussy. It was written for the Diaghilev's Ballets Russes and choreographed by Vaslav Nijinsky. Set and costume design were done by Leon Bakst.

Jeux premiered under conductor Pierre Monteux on May 15, 1913 in Paris at Theatre des Champs-Elysees. Jeux was not well received, and soon eclipsed by Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring, which was premiered on May 29, 1913.

Debussy also wrote Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune. It was influenced by Mallarmé’s poem “Afternoon of a Faun.”

Claude Debussy was born in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France, the eldest of five children. His father, Manuel-Achille Debussy, owned a shop where he sold china and crockery, and his mother, Victorine Manoury Debussy, was a seamstress. Debussy began piano lessons there at the age of seven. During the summers of 1880, 1881, and 1882, Debussy accompanied the wealthy patroness of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, as she traveled with her family in Europe and Russia.

Other works include Khamma (1911–1912), La boîte à joujoux (1913) and Le palais du silence ou for the ballet. Further plans, such as an American tour, more ballet scores, and revisions of Chopin and Bach works for re-publication, were all cut short by the outbreak of World War I and his poor health. Debussy died in Paris on March 25, 1918.  Since Debussy died during the days of World War I, there were no public funerals. Debussy was buried in the small Passy Cemetery behind the Trocadéro.