In 1913, one of the most curious, fascinating coincidences in music history occurred: both Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel set three poems by Stéphane Mallarmé to music, two of which coincided. The close proximity of these compositional ideas provides an excellent basis for identifying the similarities and differences in the two composers’ approaches to Mallarmé’s texts.

A direct comparison is complicated by the fact that the two works are scored for different ensembles. Nevertheless, enough parameters remain to allow the works to be examined side by side. This is precisely what I undertook as part of my Master’s degree, documenting in writing the results of the concert in which the two works were interwoven, enabling a direct comparison for the audience.

In the following document (in german, for the time being), you can find a comparative discussion and assessment of both works as they appear from my perspective.