It was written as a 'house-warming' gift for Jules "Tergis" Griset, industrialist and keen cellist (member of the famous Geloso Quartet with Albert Géloso, Pierre Monteux and Bloch), to whom it is dedicated ('to inaugurate the house of a friend').
It was also performed at the Concerts du Conservatoire on the 22 and 29 January 1893 with Éléonore Blanc (who would create the role of Briséïs four years later) as soloist, conducted by Paul Taffanel.
Myers points out bold touches, such as when the altos, over a pedal f# in the orchestra reiterate for four long 9/8 bars the words 'musique adorable' on the same note, while the soloist and other voices weave round them an expressive melodic figure starting on G natural.
À la musique was a favourite piece of Claude Debussy and was chosen by Désiré-Émile Inghelbrecht to open the concert he conducted to inaugurate the new Théâtre des Champs-Élysées on 2 April 1913.
[3] À la musique is scored for an orchestra consisting of 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 B flat clarinets, 2 bassoons; 4 horns in F, 2 trumpets in F, 3 trombones; timpani, triangle; 2 harps, violins, violas, cellos and double basses.