The Impressionists

Impressionism began with a group of French painters, among whom were Manet, Monet, Renoir, and Cézanne.  They aimed at painting what could be seen at a quick glance, without recording every detail in the way that earlier painters had done.  Some wonderful experiments in colour and atmosphere resulted.  Although the movement started as early as 1859, it really became established with an impressionist exhibition in 1874.

The movement spread to French poets such as Mallarme and Verlaine, who called themselves Symbolists, and who tried to evoke and suggest rather than to make direct statements.  Debussy met Mallarme in 1887, and from then onwards began to be associated with the impressionists and symbolists, and to imbibe their ideas.  He applied them to music in a most original way, and became the first musical impressionist.  His prelude 'L'Aprés Midi d'un Faune' is based on the poem of that name by Mallarm6; and his operatic setting of Maeterlinck's play 'Pelléas et Melisande' is very impressionistic, as are all his piano pieces.  

Although Ravel showed much more clarity than Debussy and was more classical in outlook, he too can be called an impressionist.  So also can the British composers Delius, Bax, John Ireland, and even, to a certain extent, Vaughan Williams.  The Italian Respighi (1879-1936) and the Spaniard De Falia (1876-1946) were impressionist composers, too.