Fantasia C major Hob. XVII:4

When he switched from the harpsichord to the fortepiano in the 1780s, Joseph Haydn found he had a rich palette of sound colours and dynamic variations at his disposal, and he employed them enthusiastically in his C-major Fantasy. This piano piece, composed in early 1789 in a “whimsical hour”, was intended by Haydn to meet with approval from “both connoisseurs and amateurs” – not least because it is “not too difficult”.

Christine Schornsheim provides historically accurate fingerings. This stand-alone edition follows the musical text of the Haydn Complete Edition, and provides an ideal means for players to get to grips with Haydn’s experiments with the sounds of the piano.