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Rich and expressive, Debussy's ‘La Mer’ paints a colourful picture of the sea. Inspired in part by Eastbourne, where Debussy finished composing the work in 1905, the work is made up of three symphonic movements, and could therefore be defined as a symphony. However, impressionist composer Debussy resisted this idea, instead calling the piece a set of ‘symphonic sketches’. Perhaps this is the reason that the piece received a lukewarm reaction from audiences in 1905 – they were confused by this hybrid form. Nevertheless, the work has become a milestone of impressionism and one of the composer’s best loved and regularly performed works.

This Classics with NOW performance took place in St David’s Hall in 2018, under the baton of Jac van Steen.