Children’s Corner

Composer: DEBUSSY, Claude
  • Written between 1906-1908, Debussy’s Children’s Corner is a 6-movement work for piano dedicated to his daughter, “Chou-chou” (Claude-Emma).
    1. Doctor Gradus ad Parnassum
    2. Jimbo’s Lullaby
    3. Serenade for the Doll
    4. The Snow is Dancing
    5. The Little Shepherd
    6. Golliwog’s Cakewalk1
  • These six piano pieces are meant to evoke childhood memories and imagery:
    • “Doctor Gradus ad Parnassum” – the “steps to Parnassus,” signifying the gradual ascent of learning. This piece playfully mocks technical exercises assigned to young pianists.
    • “Jimbo’s Lullaby” – an elephant named “Jimbo” (originally “Jumbo”) walking
    • “Serenade for the Doll” (self-explanatory)
    • “The Snow is Dancing” – a snowstorm from a child’s perspective
    • “The Little Shepherd” – a shepherd and his flute
    • “Golliwog’s Cakewalk” – a golliwog was a type of ragdoll popular at the time, depicting a (controversial) dark-skinned figure. The “golliwog” character originated from a children’s book by Florence Kate Upton.
      • Listen for Debussy poking fun at Wagner by quoting Tristan and Isolde.2

Sources

  1. “Children’s Corner, CD 119 (Debussy, Claude),” IMSLP, accessed March 30, 2026, https://imslp.org/wiki/Children’s_Corner%2C_CD_119_(Debussy%2C_Claude).
  2. Nolan O. Pribnow, “Claude Debussy’s Children’s Corner–A Pedagogical Guide,” Undergraduate Research Journal 19, no. 1 (2015): 14.

Cut IDs

41039 41560 49282 18777 21768 45441 12402 45440 19699 22857 11901