Anxiety, patriotism and frustration at not being able to participate meaningfully in the war had an effect on Debussy similar to that of his journeys abroad and contributed to a reawakening of fervour for his wife. Now in his enforced confinement at home he was moved to express intense emotions to her and also the desire to compose. On 1 January 1915 Emma received a New Year's greeting in the form of an English greetings card which he admitted was banal, but contained all his love which existed for her alone, ‘mon amour – qui n’existe que pour toi’.

Stirrings of patriotism fuelled a longing to return to ‘la clarté française’. Raoul Bardac believed it was Debussy's determination not to let his illness beat him that led to his desire to contribute in his own way to the war effort by re-creating truly French music. On 6 January Debussy told Vallery-Radot he had begun to write in what he called the ‘true’ eighteenth-century style of Rameau. He echoed this ambition to the conductor Bernadino Molinari a few days later, saying it was necessary to guide French music back to its ‘true path’ from which, since Rameau, outside influences had led it astray.

Domestic concerns since the outbreak of war were confined to caring for his close family, following Emma's wishes, visiting Raoul and going to the Cinéma des Champs-Élysées in January to please Chouchou, where they saw Calvaire d’une reine, starring the popular actor and comedian Max Linder. However, financial matters came to the fore once again with a reprise of correspondence between Debussy and the lawyer dealing with his loans. His debts were spiralling, and he was being pursued by a Monsieur Lelarge, whom he wished would ‘take into account the situation we are in at the moment, one which affects artists just as severely as others’. The current agreement needed the cooperation of the Bardac Bank, since the money Emma received from Sigismond was being used as a guarantee for the loan. In fact, things got so serious that Lelarge threatened Debussy with producing evidence that he could claim a whole year of the Bardac allowance, which, he maintained, was a seizable asset.