Golliwogg's Cake-Walk

the sixth and final movement of

Children's Corner

by Claude Debussy

Florence Kate Upton, children's book author and illustrator, featured characters of her own
creation based on various extant dolls. In 1894, she created a friendly, happy-go-lucky character
named Golliwog. He was based on a popular doll that in turn was based on the typical
performer in a minstrel show. Some of these performers were black, but usually they were white
musicians wearing black makeup, advancing a stereotype that's now considered insensitive.

A cakewalk was a style of dance developed by black slaves and their heirs, apparently to make
fun of the white folks' formal dances. Meanwhile, the musical style which came to be known as
ragtime, which could be categorized as the earliest jazz, has roots that can be traced to a blending
of African folk music with European art music, in other words, a uniting of black and white.

There is no indication of any racist intention on the part of Claude Debussy when
he wrote this suite, based in part on his young daughter's toys. He was and is
well known for exploring the musical styles of a wide range of cultures.

Debussy wrote this for solo piano in 1908, and André Caplet orchestrated it
in 1911. This version is a 1949 transcription for two pianos by Léon Roques.

Above is the first page of the piece; here's the last.

As any good publisher should do, Durand et Cie included
a couple of pages listing additional sheet music available:
other Debussy piano works &  . . .  more "modern" French music.

 

~ FURTHER READING ~

Here is the full list of the movements in CHILDREN'S CORNER, dedicated to Debussy's 3-year-old Chou-Chou.
As further evidence of his pursuit of other cultures, he actually gave them these English titles:
  1. Doctor Gradus ad Parnassum
    This movement is a nod to the type of finger exercises that young piano students are subjected to, like those in the method books written by Carl Czerny.
  2. Jimbo's Lullaby
    "Jimbo" is a French mispronunciation of "Jumbo," the famous African elephant who lived in a Paris zoo before being taken to U.S.A. by P.T. Barnum.
  3. Serenade For The Doll
    This part makes use of chime-like sounds based on far eastern harmonies to describe the girl's porcelain doll (also known as a china doll).
  4. The Snow Is Dancing
    On a cold winter day, a little girl might need to stay indoors and watch the weather from her window, with her dolls and a toy elephant to keep her company.
  5. The Little Shepherd
    I don't know whether Chou-Chou had a shepherd doll or a toy flute, but this movement depicts a shepherd boy with a flute, playing a few tunes to his flock.
  6. Golliwogg's Cakewalk
    An appropriately delightful uptempo ending for this celebration of childhood. Now you know enough about it to ace the little test that follows. Have fun!

     
  Music MM131
Music Literature 1
pop quiz 		 
  name ________________  
     
  1. Tell everything you know about "Golliwogg's Cake-Walk."