Bassi, former principal clarinetist of La Scala in Milan, combines lyrical qualities and ravishing virtuosity, matching the phenomenon of Verdi’s music in a perfect way.
The new edition of the Concert Fantasy for clarinet and piano derives from the first printing of 1865 and is completed by another, yet unknown “Rigoletto” adaption by Bassi. The Introduction and Quartet “Bella figlia dell’amore,” composed a few years earlier, is combining the sophisticated handling of themes with practical clarinet-like ornamentation, transporting a brilliant opera atmosphere into the concert hall.