The Harlequin Fantasy was composed in the summer of 2003 in Dalarna, Sweden. This stay in the north was overshadowed by a severe case of pneumonia. Despite my delirium, I dragged myself to the piano for several hours each day—the same piano at which I had spent so many summers composing. It stands in a corner surrounded by windows that offer a dreamlike view of Lake Siljan and the Nordic natural spectacle. I made surprisingly good progress with the work. Perhaps the fever even had a supportive e...