Debussy's music is much more than just playing the composer's notes or directions. There is obviously this aspect, which in itself is already a big challenge. But the evocative power of his music infinitely surpasses the entire pianistic aspect of his work.
The pianist's craftsmanship must blend with the power of his imagination, the latter using all the artifices offered in his pianistic palette to create images of what he has imagined. He must master each molecule of this music in order to transcend it, so to speak, and share this dream world proposed by Debussy.
That's one of the goals as a performer, to be strong enough to create a dream, and invite the audience to share that dream.
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