The Philadelphia-born Persichetti was widely respected as a journeyman composer and an author of music theory textbooks, as well as one of the USA's foremost composers for the medium of the concert band. This work amusingly blends all three of these aspects. One of his textbooks is the college-level "Twentieth Century Harmony, " one of the most influential of advanced level college theory texts. Such books are filled with examples of counterpoint, voice leading, specific chords and their various resolutions, chord progressions, and tonal modulations. In other words, all the various formulae that can be used to create the themes and forms of a piece of music.

Masquerade was composed as a theme and set of ten variations, all drawing upon the musical examples of "Twentieth Century Harmony." Persichetti kept the origin of this music secret for many years; but called the piece "Masquerade" to signify its hidden genesis. It is a bustling and active piece. Persichetti's style always has a trace of academicism to it, so the work is a typical Persichetti work despite its textbook materials. It is well scored for band, witty and brisk in spirit. It is a very popular work in the symphonic band repertoire.

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