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I began work on Masque during 1977 while I was in residence at the MacDowell Artists Colony in New Hampshire.  Completed later that year, the work was included in that ensemble's 1979 winter tour through Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin.  In 1980, the Indianapolis Symphony performed the work on Subscription Series Concerts and included it on their Eastern tour the following Spring.

Masque may be approached in either (or both) of two ways:  1) as a purely programmatic piece (as in referring to a little Italian play:  the audience 'creates; --or imagines-- the action), or, 2) philosophically, as to who is wearing what mask, a play on the sound of the word.  With regard to the former, the complete title of the work offers many 'plot' possibilities open for the imagination:  Masque--A Story of Puppets, Poets, Kings and Clowns--in Seven Scenes for 9 Winds, Percussion, Piano and Strings.  The subtitles of the seven scenes offer further insight into the 'plot.'

In brief, the story 'most likely' involves a little (not terribly serious!) love triangle similar to the Petrouchka tale.  In Masque, however, the fate of the principal character is not quite so disenchanting.  After struggles with his opponent and himself, he is more or less resigned to the 'fact' (whatever the 'fact' is...) and goes off in amoralizing, yet cheerful and carefree mood.  With regard to this concept, Masque is a 'chance' composition.  However, unlike the standard, the chance elements are in the 'story' rather than in the musical score.

Regarding the latter concept (Masque/Mask), the music, as it works its way through stylistic mannerisms, poses the question of who is wearing the mask--the composer, the audience, or the principal characters of Masque.  When is the composer, the audience or the hero most comfortable--in which time, in which mask/masque?  Or, finally,is respect for a particular style or individual simply a mask worn in any given circle on any given occasion--the occasion being then, perhaps, a masque?  --Michael Schelle

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