Debussy l'après-midi d'un faune
For this task you need paper and art materials. A4 size is fine
1. This piece is about a mythical creature called a faun – half human, half goat – sleeping under a tree on a lazy afternoon and having a lovely dream.
2. Place your paper landscape on your desks (longest side bottom) and divide it into three columns (see demo below)
3. In column 1 draw the sleeping faun. Listen to the opening of Debussy’s piece as you draw and use it as inspiration. (stop at about 3’10)
4. Watch or listen to the opening flute solo (0’00 – 0’30). This is the sound of the faun’s sleepy breathing. As you listen to this flute solo again, add this onto to your drawing, above the sleeping faun, as one long line that matches the shape of the melody. As the faun is sleeping this could be a long line of zzzz’s!
5. Play the first 3 minutes or so of the recording (Beginning – 3’10) and add another ‘sleeping line’ every time you hear that opening flute melody. (It appears roughly at 1’00, 2’00, 2’40).
6. Next, listen to the middle section (3’10 - 8’00) and draw, in column 2, what the faun is dreaming about. No one really knows the answer to this so you can use your imagination - there definitely is NO WRONG ANSWER with this one! Just think carefully about the mood of the music and match your ‘dream’ to it. (If you don’t like drawing, write out his dream as a story or poem)
7. Finally, listen to the end (8’00 – end). During this section we hear the faun’s breathing again but it has changed. His dream has ended and he is starting to wake up. The music is slightly different here to represent this. Try to draw this moment in column 3. Think carefully about how to represent this change, maybe the faun’s facial expression is different…
When you have finished your pencil drawing listen to the whole of Debussy’s piece and add in some background and colours to turn it into a great work of art!
Click below for my demo. If you don’t feel like drawing today, just get comfy, close your eyes and listen - maybe you too will have an amazing dream!
For more on Debussy including a full teachers’ pack go to LSO Play (link below) and follow these steps:
Choose DEBUSSY
Go to MENU in top left corner
Select ‘downloads’
Download the pack!