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 wild about 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 famous Clarinet 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 arabesques thatcan be performed so compellingly on the clarinet.
