Claud Debussy, is considered the greatest French composer of his time. Indeed, he's one of the most influential composers in the history of music. In fact, he is more than a regular composer. He is considered a revolutionary, who sent twentieth- century music in the right direction. Debussy is the composer who demolished nineteenth-century rhetoric. Debussy is one of the greatest musical impressionists, though symbolist might be a more accurate word to describe him. The word impressionism comes from a painting by Monet called, "Sunrise," an impression. Debussy disliked this word, when it was referred to his own music. His innovations in different aspects of music provided novel music for the twentieth-century.
He pondered his esthetic many years before starting to produce his great sequence of works. He did not write anything really significant until the age of 30. When Debussy began to compose steadily, it was obvious that he did not have an abstract musical mind. What is special and significant about his works, is that almost all of them had names. This was done by Debussy in order to clearly demonstrate, and prove that he did not intend to compose program music. Instead of telling a story, Debussy conveys an impression through his music. "La Mer," is one of his most successful orchestral compositions, is almost entirely unprogrammatic. It is a range of tonal impressions in which one does not necessarily see the waves, but instead feels them. "La Mer," is a series of impressions where the picture is assumed, rather than concrete. There are 3 movements, that bear a passing resemblance to the classical symphony. Some critics called this work, "best symphony ever written by a Frenchman." This is a true masterpiece. It is incredibly precise and clear, just like the composer aimed to present his work. It's interesting to note that in this great score, the free impressionism of Debussy is tempered with something like classic form.