Syrinx (Debussy)
composition for solo flute by Claude Debussy
Syrinx, L. 137, is a piece of music for solo flute which Claude Debussy wrote in 1913. It generally takes three minutes or less to perform. It was the first significant piece for solo flute after the Sonata in A minor composed by C. P. E. Bach over 150 years before (1747), and it is the first such solo composition for the modern Böhm flute, developed in 1847.
Syrinx is commonly considered to be an indispensable part of the flute repertoire. Many musical historians believe that "Syrinx", which gives the performer generous room for interpretation and emotion, played a pivotal role in the development of solo flute music in the early twentieth century. According to flautist Marcel Moyse, Syrinx was originally written by Debussy without barlines or breath marks. Moyse may have later added these, and most publishers publish his edition of the work.
Syrinx has also been transposed and performed on the saxophone and other instruments. It quickly became a piece of standard literature for the saxophone, and has been recorded on both the alto and soprano saxophones. It is also a track on Caprice [1] by the trumpeter Alison Balsom [2].
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Syrinx (Debussy)” as composition for solo flute by Claude Debussy. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the general reference register because the source frames it as composition for solo flute by Claude Debussy. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
Named sources, stable identifiers and responsible institutions provide the strongest route from overview to verifiable evidence. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 20, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q2533703. VIAF identifies the subject as 181126073. The Library of Congress control number is n93101024. None of the 4 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 1913, 1747 and 1847.
A concise general-reference account can conceal disagreements about scope, terminology or the weight assigned to individual sources. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
- Search vocabulary
- Locating named sources
The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Syrinx (Debussy)”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Syrinx (Debussy) primary sources, Syrinx (Debussy) archive and Syrinx research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Syrinx (Debussy)”?
- What terminology or title could unlock a more precise catalogue search?
- Which cited source is closest to the event, object or claim?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Syrinx (Debussy)” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.