(Editions Durand). This edition is enriched with a historical introduction in French and English by notable clarinettist Pierre Genisson. " ... this piece is, without a doubt, one of the sweetest I have ever written." As this letter that Claude Debussy wrote to Durand, his publisher, indicates, the composer held his Rhapsodie for clarinet and piano in very high regard. In 1909, when Gabriel Faure, then director of the Paris Conservatoire, commissioned the piece, Debussy had never before written for clarinet. He dedicated it to P. Mimart, "as a token of my regard." After the unanimous recognition of the high quality of this solo, written for competition, Mimart premiered it in public on 16 January 1911 at the Salle Gaveau in Paris. Two years later, Debussy would choose to expand it further, writing a version accompanied by orchestra with a greatly expanded palette of colors. As its name suggests, it is freeform, and emanates a great poetry. The introduction, "Reveusement lent," is an evocation of the dawn. This gives way to a scene of nature's awakening, which never ceases to amaze us with its transformations. At times calm and lyrical, it sometimes becomes mischievous, vindictive or even joyous, especially during the scherzando passages. In a heightened impressionist style, Debussy gives free rein to his imagination, demanding tremendous speed and precision from the clarinettist.

Claude Debussy’s Première Rhapsodie pour Clarinette and his Rapsodie pour Saxophone were originally composed as chamber works with piano; later, they were arranged by the composer as works for full orchestra. This volume consists of both works with piano accompaniment and in full score. Debussy’s Première Rhapsodie pour Clarinette is the instrument's first truly important twentieth-century work. Like the Rapsodie pour Saxophone, it offers revealing insights into the composer's sense of orchestration. The piano versions of both works, stripped to their essentials, provide intriguing glimpses into Debussy's harmonic mind. Both pieces are staples of the repertoire for their respective instruments, and this new edition is the only one available that includes both chamber and orchestral versions of these popular works.

Expertly arranged B-Flat Clarinet Solo by Claude Debussy from the Kalmus Edition series. This is from the Impressionistic era.