DESCRIPTION:
Composed in July 1904 while staying in Jersey (UK), supposedly inspired by Watteau's Le Mezzetin, premiered on 18 February 1905 by Ricardo Viñes the Salle Pleyel. It was originally intended to be the first movement of the Suite Bergamesque; this was abandoned because of issues with publishers.

A Masque is a form of high brow entertainment, developed in Italy.

According to Marguerite Long, who had studied with Debussy: “I hear Masques – a tragedy for piano one might call it – as a sort of transparency of Debussy’s character… He was torn with poignant feelings which he preferred to mask with irony. The title Masques represents an ambiguity which the composer protested with all his might: “It is not the Italian comedy, it is the tragic expression of existence””

This piece is notable for the astonishing coda.

created, edited and mastered in Digital Performer 5.13, Ivory Italian piano (Synthogy). Clumsy me, there were several wrong notes, alas, so this replaces the previous upload.