En Bateau is the first piece in Debussy’s Petite Suite published and first performed in 1889. Accompaniments are in place enabling pianists & keyboard players to practice either the primo or secondo part. They play back at 63, 66 & 69 dotted quarter note or crotchet beats to the minute. The title is beautifully reflected in the images suggested by the musical content. Essentially a chord based piece of music the shifting rhythmic patterns suggests movement bots and water.. The music is in ternary form ABA. The word impressionism has a context with Debussy’s music although it was a term that the composer himself did not like For Debussy the piano was an instrument without hammers. Use of both the sustaining & soft pedals are essential in the playing of his piano music which is often played at the quiet end of the dynamic range. Debussy's approach to composition often broke traditional theory rules with his preoccupation being very much sound and the many shades of colour that could be obtained from sounds. He was fond of the parallel movement of chords for example & dissonances which were often left unresolved. In terms of his position in music history Debussy his someone who "opened the door" to the many directions that music took during the 20th century. He considered that chords were brushstrokes of colour Debussy was one who distanced himself from the German music traditions associated with Beethoven & Wagner. Debussy approach to composing music was like that of a painter with sounds being brushstrokes A big influence on Debussy was the 1889 Paris World Fair which provided an opportunity to hear Javanese gamelan music and Russian music by the Mighty Handful together with operatic, symphonic & folk music from western and non western ensembles. This was an experience that encouraged him to experiment with whole tone & pentatonic scales.

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