Composed in an imaginative, crisp dodecaphonic style, the Three Fantasies for clarinet and piano Op. 42 (1953-54) by Erik Bergman present widely differing characters and textures. The first fantasy is an angular dialogue that sets the virtuosic clarinet line in an incongruous manner against rather grotesquely-punctuated piano statements. The central movement is a lonely and keening lament for solo clarinet underscored by three somber invocations in the piano part. The introspective final movement begins as a leisurely duo and builds to a passionate conclusion. Three Fantasies expressively reveal the tonal and technical resources of the clarinet.

Duration: 12'