Debussy composed this brief Petite pièce for Clarinet and Piano for the Concours of the Paris Conservatoire in 1910. This exam piece was written for fulfillment of the clarinetist’s sight-reading abilities. While technique and intonation were part of the exam, all matters of phrasing, coloration and interpretive abilities were taken into consideration and evaluation towards the performer’s grade. Debussy specifically wrote the piece in a key that causes the clarinetist to have to play in “the break,” a difficult range of the instrument to “make sing,” - all in an effort to increase its level of difficulty.

Dana Paul Perna’s orchestration considered both of Debussy’s Rhapsodies, the one for clarinet orchestrated by the composer, and the one for saxophone orchestrated by Jean Roger-Ducasse which was made after the composer’s death.