Introduction
The Reverie by Joel Billy and Claude Billy has both similarities as well as differences. Thus, this paper exclusively reviews the Reverie by Claude Debussy that was written and composed in the late 19th century. The paper discusses and explains how the general tone is different upon listening to Reverie by Joel Billy that is a part of his album. It also highlights how Reverie by Debussy has stronger and different tones that are louder than Joel.
Reverie by Debussy
According to Debussy, “Music is the expression of the movement and flow of waters and play of curves by alternating breezes”. Unfortunately, listening to this version, it was hard to find sufficient information on Reverie by Debussy. However, from the information I have, Reverie by Debussy was composed in 1890. This was the time that Debussy was in his early 20`s, and was among first compositions that were composed shortly after the Arabesques. “Reverie” can be literally translated as dream or daydreaming and it is one of the best pieces.
Listening to Reverie by Debussy, it is powerful with evocative music piano. The music is more of the paintings, and I find myself in real music life when listening. The rhythm is also gentle and also has a serene sound that makes me feel extremely comfortable. In addition, the music is relatively also slow but loud enough, that I was able to concentrate. This makes the world around me appear to be beautiful, and I feel like releasing on the grass and listen to the song. In addition, the piano in this song is poetry in motion. Reverie moves slowly and “deliberately with a rhythm that brings to mind water flowing at the same time bubbling in a fountain. As the song continues singing, the music became like a wavelike tone.” It later became soft and soothing and moves back and forth in a trivial crescendo only to die away once more. As I listened, I was drifted away into my own world of imaginings and my beliefs moved like the clouds that are blowing and moving across the sky.
The song also reminds me of Monet Water lilies, the Monet boat and the respective impressionists. This song is relaxing and also it is very inspirational and I enjoyed the entire beats from the start to the end. The piano music and the lyrics also sink down to my heart as I followed each and every bit of the song. Despite other instruments used by the composer, the only loud and clear instrument is the Piano. I was able to hear the Piano from the background the moment the song started until the end. In addition, I was able to hear and distinguish all the changes and adjustments that were made as the song was sung. This is the reason it is called Piano song, since the piano dominates in the entire piece.
The Debussy’s Reverie is for single piano that is played in the company of a paddle that creates a dreamy sound. The beat starts with a solo melody and later contrapuntal rhythm is introduced. I feel that the melody remains constant but the harmony of the song on the other hand is altered. This makes the piano softly giving the whole song a soft rhythm. However, after listening to Debussy’s Reverie, I was surprised that Debussy used repetition to maintain the theme. Repetition however, was worked best in moving emotions and my feelings.
Reverie by Joel Williams
This is the first song on the album of Billy Joel called fantasies and delusions that was released in 2001. It is the most interesting piece on this album that I could not stop listening to. Listening to this song, I was wondering who influenced Joel, and sometime I thought I was listening to Debussy. This is because, I realized that there is a close relationship in the two reveries. However, this song appears to have left a lasting musical impression of rock music and I was able to enjoy the rhythm and the lyrics in the song. However, the piano in this song is firmly entrenched in romanticism and it is also expressive covering a wide range of moods. Thus, romanticism dominates in the entire song.
In addition, the piece does not contain clear rhythms and melody spine at the end of the song. Moreover, the reverie is comforting and also entertaining to listen to, and it is precisely to the main point. In addition, the piano was played accurately going along with the lyrics of the reverie. On the contrary, it doesn’t matter to whom the song is directed to but I find the song interesting with a fantastic message. The only word that I was left asking myself without an exact answer was the term Vienna. This was the term that was used in the reverie that I couldn`t find the exact meaning.
However, trying to guess it is a lifetime when everything turns out the way you want. This was my conclusion on what Vienna but I find myself confused when he mentions that “only fools are satisfied and finding Vienna or nirvana if you will would in fact be being satisfied”. Therefore, it made me think that Vienna means heaven where people live happily without suffering. In this song my preferable line is "You know when you're wrong, but you don't always know when you're right. You're right.” Further, Joel Reverie to me is all about ensuring that one achieves his/her dream without being discouraged when something goes out of the way.
Similarities and differences between Reverie by Joel Billy and Debussy
After listening to both reveries, I did find both similarities and differences. At first, it is hard to identify the differences unless one is keen. First, they both include exclusive use of the piano through the entire song. The reverie mixes both high tones and low tones in the start and the end. However, the end of each piece ends and starts with a slow tone. In addition, there is a close relationship in the structure of the two Reveries. The sentences in both of them are neither long nor short and this makes it faster for the listener to capture the meaning of the song. However, after listening carefully, the only difference I managed to record was the tone. In the Debussy`s reverie, the tone of the piano was high and constantly uniform. In addition, the tone of the piano in the Debussy`s Reverie is fast unlike in the Joel `s Reverie. As a result, the Debussy`s Reverie turns out to be the loudest between the two.
References
Beilen, K. (2000). The Words and Music of Billy Joel. London : ABC-CLIO.
Schimtz, R. (1998). The piano works of Claude Debussy. New York: ABC.
