Following the model of Bach and his 24 Preludes and Fugues from 1722, Debussy also wrote his own set of Préludes for the piano. Debussy began Book 1 in December 1909, finishing it 2 months later in February 1910; Book 2 was started in late 1912 and finished in April 1913.
Although the pieces have descriptive titles, these titles are placed at the ends of the pieces, not the beginning. The pianist is forced to approach each piece as an unknown, with only the tempo indication as a guide. It’s clear that Debussy regarded the titles as being of only secondary importance, although to us as listeners, we rely on the titles in a very different way.
It is not thought that the entire set of preludes was intended to be performed as a cycle, although that is a popular way to record them.
Debussy begins these piano pieces in ancient Greece, with his dancers of Delphi (Danseuses de Delphes), a stately procession, as though it is the Greek statutes themselves, with their flowing robes, that that are moving.
Here is the music, as played by the late Sviatoslav Richter:
