Noctave
The piece
The third of the four movements of the Suite bergamasque, between a Menuet and a Passepied, this piece was begun around 1890, but Debussy only published it in 1905, with Fromont, the edition this score follows. It opens pianissimo, con sordina, on thirds that start after the beat, so the 9/8 metre can barely be felt. A livelier central section lets arpeggios flow between the hands, then the calm of the opening returns, all the way to the final morendo.
The first challenge is the pianissimo: chords of two or three notes, played very softly but together, with the top note slightly more present. Keep your arm weight light and your fingers close to the keys. In the central section, the arpeggios start in the left hand and finish in the right: they should sound like a single wave. Low and high resonances blend quickly, so change the pedal often to keep the sound clear.