Debussy biography recommendation?

[jon-nyc]

Kluurs? Anyone else?

[kluurs]

@jon-nyc This is the one I read. Having not read others, I can't compare but it seemed to reveal his life such as it was reasonably well.

[Klaus]

Speaking of composer biographies, my wife gave me this massive 800 page or so biography for christmas.

I started reading the first 50 pages or so. It seems to be almost too much information for anyone but the most hardcore musicologists.

There should be a market for "short" biographies (of, say, less than 100 pages).

[kluurs]

@klaus I read that one too. I liked it better than the Debussy. I guess I love all that detail - or as I recall - it becomes more interesting as it goes on. I remember most vividly toward the end of Chopin's life was very interesting.

[SD Tav]

@klaus try Adam Zamoyski’s much shorter biography of Chopin. I liked it. I’m also in the middle of Zamoyski’s more recent Napoleon biography. Very long, but enjoyable.

[SD Tav]

@jon-nyc Last year I read Stephen Walsh’s Debussy “A Painter in Sound” biography. I liked it. Probably has everything you will want to know about Debussy. My admiration for this innovator (especially in piano writing) grew after reading this book.