Indifference to anniversary of Debussy's death

On 17 March 1920 Emma wrote to Chouchik Laloy, having had no success reaching her on the telephone. She was enquiring after Louis Laloy's plans for a gathering of Debussy's friends round his grave on the second anniversary of his death, leaving him to determine the time at which people should meet. Writing to her friend gave her the excuse she needed to ‘let herself go’ and express her perpetual acute misery. It was eight months since the death of Chouchou. She knew Chouchik's husband would have been just as sensitive to the presence of ‘la lumineuse petite créature’ whom he had watched growing up. She reminded Chouchik that Debussy used to call her ‘mon plus beau chef d’oeuvre’, his greatest masterpiece.

On 15 April 1920 Émile Vuillermoz, music critic and ardent defender of Debussy's music, gave a lecture at the Concerts historiques Pasdeloup, which began with his expression of disappointment at the sparse number of musicians who had turned up at Debussy's graveside three weeks earlier. He decried the indifference of the powers-that-be towards a musician of such calibre, the silence of his contemporaries, the fact that there was no demand for a blue plaque whilst far less-deserving people had avenues and boulevards named after them. In some ways, given Debussy's personality, this was hardly surprising. ‘He lived in a sort of proud misanthropy, hiding behind a wall of irony, zealously avoiding fools and bores’. He never encouraged words of gratitude or appreciation. ‘Debussy was adored. He was not liked. He inspired love, discouraged affection.’ He summarised his development since student days, the influence of poets and artists on his style, illustrated with practical examples sung by Blanche Marot and Ninon Vallin. Marcel Chadeigne played examples of piano works. He praised Debussy's liberating influence on orchestration and harmony, finishing with a demonstration of Debussy's genius for writing orchestral music with a performance of the Nocturnes played by the orchestra of the Concerts Pasdeloup. This paean of praise by Vuillermoz is cited here in the light of future appeals for a monument to Debussy and the public disputes which would involve him and others decrying Emma's attempts to promote Debussy's previously unpublished compositions. Vuillermoz certainly did not support Debussy's widow in her choice of works or performers.