Music Critics Haven't Always

NPR Reviewed Jul 1, 2026 ✓ Reviewed by citations.press editors

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In 1894, Paul Dukas heard Debussy's Prelude to 'The Afternoon of a Faun' and was convinced of its staying power.

1894 year · Paul Dukas hearing Debussy's Prelude

Paul Dukas, music critic

Music critics haven't always been able to predict greatness when they hear it. But in 1894, when Paul Dukas (doo-KAH) heard the Prelude to "The Afternoon of a Faun" by his compatriot Claude Debussy, he was convinced that both the piece and the composer had staying power. We'll hear conductor Carl St. Clair and the Music Academy of the West Festival Orchestra perform Debussy's Prelude to "The Afternoon of a Faun" from a concert they gave at the Granada Theatre in Santa Barbara, California. (Opus I Mobile Recordings)

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