Google marks Claude Debussy's birthday with doodle

A moonlit riverside scene and the tunes of Claude Debussy’s “Clair de lune” or “Moonlit”, marks search-engine Google’s homepage on Thursday.

Quite appropriately, one of Debussy’s best music pieces marks the doodle celebrating his 151st birthday.

Born in 1862 at Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France, Debussy is considered one of the finest impressionist musicians.

Apart from the music playing in the background, the doodle features a riverside scene with a star-studded sky, flickering streets lights and chimney smoke rising to the tunes of the piece. It also features windmills, boats, cycles, cars and balloons.

With the music playing along, the scene then moves forward to depict rain falling on the river and concludes with two different boats crossing paths and the rowers sharing a red-coloured umbrella.

Debussy began taking piano lessons in Cannes at the age of seven. He entered the Paris Conservatoire in 1872, and spent 11 years there.

In 1884, Debussy was honoured with the “Prix de Rome” for his composition “L'enfant prodigue”, and a scholarship to the Académie des Beaux-Arts. He is also said to have been influenced by German composer Richard Wagner.

Some of Debussy’s major works include the “Prelude a l'apres-midi d'un faune” (Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun); “Pelleas et Melisande” (an opera in five acts); “Suite Bergamasque” (a piano suite); “La Cathedrale Engloutie” (The Sunken Catheral) , among others.

He died of colon cancer in March 1918.

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