Looking at the previous styles explored in this course, it was easy to categorize composers based on their era or period. Bach played during the Baroque; Mozart is clearly a classical composer, etc. As we got deeper and deeper into the class and got closer and closer to the present day, categorization became more and more difficult. This began with Beethoven, who didn't quite fit the classical style, but wasn't a pure romantic either. It was somewhere in the middle. Debussy fills a similar space between periods. Although Debussy composed a large amount of program music, he also created pieces in the Impressionist style. With Debussy's Pierrot, from his Quatre Chansons de Jeunesse (Four Songs of Youth), he creates a Lied that could be interpreted as one or the other; an impressionist piece or programmatic piece of music, intended to look at the meaning of words and the music that accompanies them, as opposed to the pure sound itself. Debussy's impressionist style shines through in Pierrot, one of the many Lieds written by the accomplished composer. Debussy was famous for his interesting and new forms of tonality. Debussy managed to create a piece that focused on sound and his emotional reaction with Pierrot. His use of unconventional scales creates a unique sound for Impressionism and Symbolism, contemporary French literature to Impressionist music. The piece is made up of four themes, which are played and repeated in an interesting order which we will talk about later. The themes themselves are similar, but definitely distinct in their sound. There is a certain dissonance that resonates with everyone, but it doesn't have the effect of making the piece difficult to follow. Dissonance can often have this effect, but dissonance in this... center of paper... which directly discusses both, respectively. Theme D brings together the fleeting nature of Pierrot's love, as it moves from woman to woman, to the moon, shining white and bright at night, and disappearing in the morning. It is unclear whether Debussy's Pierrot is program music or impressionist, but perhaps that is by intention. It is logical that Debussy allows the listener to decide what to see in the work. There are many layers to consider, whether it be the sounds themselves, the surface meaning of the poem, or the deeper connection Debussy draws between specific lines of the poem. These are conscious choices that the listener is able to make while listening to the piece, and they come from a level of depth and mastery that is absolutely to be applauded. Pierrot is a wonderful piece, an absolute pleasure, whatever you listen to.