Ibéria

The second movement of the three-part symphonic work Images by CLAUDE DEBUSSY, 1910.

Debussy adored Spain, its rhythms, and the very odor of the streets. The three sections of Ibéria bear evocative subtitles: Par les rues et par les chemins (In the Streets and By-Ways), Les Parfums de la nuit (The Fragrances of the Night), and Le Matin d'un jour en fête (The Morning of a Festival Day). In the last section, the violinists are instructed to hold their instruments under their arms and strum them like guitars.

Listeners and critics were at first bewildered by the sounds of Debussy's imaginary Spain. One suggested that Ibéria was so foggy that a letter must have been omitted from the title, i.e., the "S," for Siberia. But when a more broad-minded music critic was asked who was the best Spanish composer, he replied, "Debussy!"

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