At the age of 48, Debussy had already established himself as a leading figure, or rather, a doyen, in the French music scene. While this was a period when many masterpieces were being published across numerous genres such as opera, orchestral works, chamber music, and piano pieces, “La plus que lente” is a playful miniature that seems to have casually slipped in among his major and powerful works. It was composed around the same time as his masterpiece, “Préludes, Book I” (1910). It is a triple meter piece in a very slow tempo. It is said that the piece reflects Debussy's interest and fascination with Gypsy music. It has also been arranged for other instruments, and the composer himself created an orchestral version.