If you think you know everything there is to know about Debussy, test your knowledge this Saturday (April 22nd) when LPF Chair, Alistair McGowan, appears on Celebrity Mastermind on BBC One at 17:45 with the great French composer as his specialist subject.
Paul Roberts (who will be appearing at the festival playing a selection of Debussy’s music) wrote the book which Alistair used as his source material. Christina McMaster will also be playing pieces by Debussy in her recital on May 25th (book tickets now).
Debussy had a torrid love life. He fled briefly to Eastbourne to escape the scandal that raged across Paris when he began living with Emma Bardac when she was still a married woman and Debussy himself was still married to his first wife, Lily. The two had one daughter together to whom Debussy was devoted. The couple always referred to her as Chou-Chou although Claude and Emma had been less inventive when they christened her, giving her the name Claude-Emma. Sadly, she died shortly after her father—aged just 13.