Catch the wave with the composer of “La Mer.” Today, to celebrate the anniversary of the birth of Claude Debussy (1862-1918), I hope you’ll consider joining me for my Saturday radio shows, “Sweetness and Light” and “The Lost Chord.”

Regarded as one of France’s greatest composers, and one of the foundational figures in 20th century music, Debussy was the most famous representative of a style known as Impressionism (although he himself loathed the term). What’s in a name?

No matter how you choose to classify it, he wrote a lot of beautiful music, and I’ve selected what I think are some of his most delightful pieces (for “Sweetness and Light”), as well some of his lesser-heard ones (for “The Lost Chord”).

On “Sweetness and Light” (11:00 EDT/8:00 PDT), we’ll enjoy orchestrations of his piano works by other hands, as well as the composer’s own arrangement of “La plus que lente” for small orchestra (including cimbalom!).

Then on “The Lost Chord” (7:00 EDT/4:00 PDT), we’ll hear “Six épigraphes antiques” (“Six Ancient Epigraphes”), orchestrated by Ernest Ansermet, and his Prix de Rome award-winning cantata “L’enfant prodigue” (“The Prodigal Son”), in a recording featuring Jessye Norman, José Carreras, and Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau.

Interested in Debussy? We’ve got you covered. Join me in lauding Claude on “Sweetness and Light” and “The Lost Chord,” on KWAX Classical Oregon!

Stream both programs, wherever you are, at the link:

https://kwax.uoregon.edu/