Golliwog's Cakewalk

A very popular selection by Debussy scored for Chamber Orchestra. The "Children's Corner" Suite by Claude Debussy, published in 1908, is dedicated to the composer's daughter, Claude-Emma (known as "Chou-Chou"), who was three years old at the time. The concluding movement no. 6 is "Golliwog's Cakewalk," as golliwogs were quite popular at the time in Paris - especially among children. Golliwogs were stuffed black dolls with red pants, red bow ties and wild hair, somewhat reminiscent of the black-face minstrels of the time. The short work is a ragtime with syncopations, banjo-like effects, and a large and effective dynamic range. The middle section is interrupted several times by the "love-death" leitmotif of Richard Wagner's Tristan und Isolde. Each time this "grande emotion" is sounded it is followed by banjo-like imitations, or laughter, as Debussy was not fond of Wagner's style in general. The cakewalk was also a popular dance or "strut" of the day. This scoring of "Golliwog's Cakewalk" by Gary Robert Buchanan has been conducted by the arranger with The Foundation Orchestra in Nevada, and by other orchestras over the years. It is scored for an advanced student or professional chamber group and has always proven to be a "crowd-pleaser."