Carl NielsenŒÍs Fantasy Piece for clarinet and piano is an early work, written between the ages of 16 and 18, while he was a member of the military band in the Danish town of Odense. With this miniature, he gave proofof his mature compositional talent on the one hand, and of the socialis ation through the music of the classic and early romantic eras on the other. With its skilful interconnection of Italianate cantabilitíæ and brilliant suppleness, the two-part Fantasy Piece offers a welcome change in the clarinet repertoire. Our edition is based on the sole surviving source, long considered a copy, in CopenhagenŒÍs Royal Library, which has since been ascertainably identified as an autograph manuscript.
