It is difficult to establish an appropriate chronological place for Claude Debussy's Suite bergamasque within his output. He originally composed the piece in 1890, but it was not published until 1905, and the extent to which he revised it during the interval is unclear. Certainly the published work is a great stylistic advance over the few short piano works which preceded it during the late 1880s and early 1890s, but whether that advance is due to an early maturity or to much later alteration will perhaps always elude historians.

The Suite, Debussy's tribute to the French Baroque clavecinistes (harpsichordists), comprises four individual movements: Prélude, Menuet, Clair de lune, and Passepied. It is interesting to note that Debussy originally titled the third and fourth pieces "Promenade sentimentale" and "Pavane," respectively, and changed their titles only shortly before publishing the Suite in 1905. This has caused many to question the purported connection between the much-celebrated Clair de lune and Paul Verlaine's poem of the same name. However, Debussy's connection with Verlaine's poetry is far reaching enough for the association to be meaningful. He had already set the poem "Clair de lune," as well as several others, for voice and piano on two separate occasions by 1891, and the word bergamasque is itself contained within that particular text.

The Prelude, an F major piece cast in ternary (ABA) form, unfolds in an aristocratic, unhurried way. The opening declamation, spanning some four octaves, is nobleness itself, while the B section, in A minor, is devoted to more thoughtful ideas. Perhaps the best music in the Prelude is contained within the lengthy passage that connects the middle section to the reprise of the opening. The Menuet presents the best glimpse of Debussy's emerging compositional voice. Save for its 3/4 meter there is little trace of the traditional minuet form to be found. Especially notable is the absence of a trio section. Clair de lune is perhaps the most famous work Debussy ever penned. Although Debussy's reliance on left-hand arpeggios throughout the piece can lead to a somewhat mechanical effect in the hands of less skilled performers, Clair de lune has a way of drawing the listener into its magical atmosphere. Particularly striking are the opening gestures, still and quiet, and a passage in parallel octaves that connects the opening to the more active middle-section. The Passepied that ends the Suite is cast in 4/4 time, betraying its origins as a pavane, since the traditional Passepied is invariably found in 3/4 time. As is the case with the Menuet, Debussy is making reference to an antiquated dance form without actually making use of it.

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Claude Debussy's famous Clair de lune is the third piece of the Suite bergamasque for piano, a work whose title was chosen as much for its composer's love of the word-sounds as for its Renaissance implications (though the work can rightly be described as something of a tribute to the French harpsichordists of olden days). The Suite, originally composed in 1890 but revised between then and its publication in 1905, is the first real flowering of Debussy's genius for piano music. Clair de lune is closely related to Debussy's song by the same name; it is wonderful early Debussy, as much image as substance (and as such very unlike the composer's later music, which has more "core" to it) and happy to be so.

The D flat major of Clair de lune is perfectly chosen, the gleaming melody in parallel thirds (con sordina, Debussy requests) expertly balanced by the beautifully dissonant tempo rubato that follows it. During the un poco mosso middle section of Clair de lune, the music swells far past the pianissimo of the opening, and in its climax one might say that the young composer has crafted more of sunlight than of moonlight; the incessant arpeggios may well be overdone, but one can cherish them all the same. Little wisps of these arpeggios find their way over into the reprise of the opening music, and the rolling tones of the middle section are given a few measures to plead their case once more before the final chromatic cadence, a moment of absolute tranquility, is made.

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Debussy completed the Suite bergamasque for solo piano in Paris in 1888. From the suite, Claire de leune has proven to be one of Debussy's most popular compositions, and with good reason. Its simplicity of texture and subtle turns of color provide monumental challenges for the performer. As with most Debussy works, the impression of a landscape is paramount to earthly romance. The scenery is portrayed in light and shade, accomplished by subtle twists of harmony and rhythm. Debussy's love of nature's beauty is here humble, nearly religious in quality. Remarkably, the notes speak for themselves in creating the luminous texture, asking the performer to not pierce it or spill excess coloration on it. Delicate strands of silver reflections await the performers touch, to the listener's delight.

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