Tosca Fantasia für Klarinette und Klavier op. 171

When Giacoma wrote his 'Tosca Fantasia' in 1900, he was serving in the Italian army as a Clarinetist and band master. His paraphrase is totally in tune with the times, since music lovers were wildabout chamber-music arrangements of large, popular works for performance in concert or at home.

In his 'Tosca Fantasia,' Giacoma uses various themes from Puccini's opera, including the famousClarinet solo that precedes Cavaradossi's aria 'E lucevan le stelle.' The solo instrument shifts very effectively between bel canto vocal lines that allow the clarinet to fully revel in its beauty, and the virtuoso arabesquesthatcan be performed so compellingly on the clarinet.