In 1880 Debussy was recommended as household pianist to Mme Nadezhda von Meck, Tchaikovsky’s patron. He was to teach her children and play four-hand piano music with them. He was not quite 18 at the ...

and fascinated Debussy, who found that "Javanese music obeys laws of counterpoint that make Palestrina seem like child's play." Another source of inspiration was the spirit of Spanish music and ...