Chapter 4 - Feminine Beginnings: Women’s Critical Perspectives on Debussy (1897–1914)

Summary

This chapter discusses the prosperity and independence of women in French society at the fin de siècle. Debussy’s upward social mobility from his humble roots to the bourgeoisie was accompanied by attitudes about women that remained conservative and traditional, as many of his comments about women indicate no acceptance of equality. As a means of situating Debussy’s music within a broader network of concerns and debates about gender at the fin de siècle, this chapter, after an overview of gender relations at the turn of the century, turns its attention to an examination of of published examples women’s critical reactions to Debussy’s music while the composer was still alive.