In Impressionist music, what is the primary goal of composers like Debussy?

In Impressionist music, the primary goal of composers like Debussy is to evoke emotions, feelings, or scenes rather than adhering to strict artistic rules. This approach emphasizes the use of tone color, atmosphere, and innovative harmonies to create an impression or mood rather than to define a clear narrative or structure.

Debussy focused on capturing fleeting moments and sensations, often drawing inspiration from nature and art to evoke specific images or emotions. His use of non-traditional scales like the whole tone scale and modes contributed to creating ambiguous harmonic environments that enhance the emotive quality of the music, aligning with the broader Impressionist philosophy that prioritizes personal expression over formal constraints.

The other options imply a focus on clarity and strict adherence to traditional forms, which contrasts sharply with the characteristics of Impressionist music that favor subtlety, fluidity, and emotional depth over rigid structural definitions or challenges through dissonance.