Achille-Claude Debussy was born August 22, 1862, in St. Germain-
en-Laye, just outside Paris, France and died March 25, 1918, in
Paris. He composed his Petite Suite for piano four-hands from
1886 through early 1889, and it received its first performance
on March 1, 1889, at a private salon in Paris, played by the
composer and Jacques Durand. The orchestration presented here
was created in 1907 by Henri Büsser (born January 16, 1872, in
Toulouse, France; died December 30, 1973, in Paris). It was
first performed on November 4, 1907, in Paris, with Camille
Chevillard conducting. The San Francisco Symphony first
performed the work in January 1920 with Alfred Hertz conducting.
The most recent performances at our regular concerts were given
in February 1965 under the direction of Paul Paray. The score
calls for two flutes (second doubling piccolo), two oboes
(second doubling English horn), two clarinets, two bassoons, two
horns, two trumpets, timpani, triangle, cymbals, tambourine,
harp, and strings. Performance tim