Overview
Introduction
The Fantaisie romantique dates from the same period as much of the Album d’un voyageur, and is similar in style to the Fleurs mélodiques but at a much extended length. The opening section is based on the four-note motif heard in the first bar and a plaintive cow-call after the first upward flourish. The cow-call is transformed into a pastoral Allegretto, and a second flourish leads to the first theme proper. This theme eventually recalls the four-note motif. The second theme, marked ‘La nostalgie—Mal du pays’ (which does not come from No 7b of the Fleurs mélodiques, pace Humphrey Searle) is stated in octaves with repeated chordal accompaniment. Thereafter, all the material is subjected to very free, improvisatory development, exploiting a wide range of colours. Of course this is all a bit wild and rambling, but the sheer originality of the piece quietens academic criticism.
