Masks (Szymanowski)

See also: Mask (homonymy)

The Masques COp 34 are a work for Piano written by Karol Szymanowski in 1915 - 1916

In 1914, the type-setter takes refuge in his native village in Ukraine and remains there until the Russian Revolution. It returns from a long stay to Europe, Sicily and North Africa, where it draws its inspiration for works of these a few years. Its style approaches then the Impressionnisme debussyste and inaugurates a series of Musique to program, with literary source, with its Mythes for violin and piano , contemporaries of its Métopes for piano and its Masques .

The three parts which compose them offer a short cut on three major myths of the imaginary Westerner whereas its Métopes concentrated on Homère. The Masques were written in an chronological order different from their publication, Schéhérazade completing the cycle initially. Tantris is a deformation of Tristan , myth of Tristan and Iseut relayed in a part of Ernst Hardt, where that Ci is disguised as a buffoon in order to meet its dulcinée.

Its execution lasts approximately twenty-five minutes.

• Schéhérazade
• Tantris the buffoon
• Serenade of Don Juan