Composed by Debussy in his early 20s, this is one of his earliest music works, when he was still exploring his music style. The paradox is that years after this piece was published, Debussy came to dislike it as his style progressed. As he said:"I wrote it in a hurry years ago, purely for material considerations. It is a work of no consequence and I frankly consider it to be no good".
Despite of this, "Reverie" has had a lasting impact on the music world and has been appreciated by generations of composers and listeners, remaining one of Debussy's most famous works.
As its title suggests, it is a peaceful and calm music referring to a dream-like state of mind. It is therefore usually played as ambient and atmospheric music or music for reflection and meditation. There is tenderness but also sadness and hope in this music. Just like imagining an old man, at the end of his life, telling the story of his life to his grandson and passing down to him knowledge and advice of how to live his life better.