Following the composition of Harold En Italie for Viola and orchestra in 1834, Berlioz began work on the opera Benvenuto Cellini, which subsequently failed on its first performances at the Paris Opera in 1838. Berlioz withdrew the opera for substantial revision, and from some of the discharged material he later fashioned this Reverie Et Caprice (in versions both for violin and orchestra and violin and piano). Dedicated to Berlioz's violinist friend Alexandre-Joseph Artot, the piece was quickly taken up by several celebrated violinists of the time, including David, Joachim and Wieniawski, and was played all over Europe.
This new edition for violin and piano, by the musicologist and performer Neil Heyde, is based on the first edition of the score.