Adagio and Tarantella - Cavallini/Giampieri - Clarinet and Piano

Ernesto Cavallini (1807 – 1874) was an Italian clarinetist and composer.  The Adagio e Tarantella is dedicated "All’amico Sig. Don José Cruz," and was first published in 1869 by Giovanni Canti (Milan).  A stormy introduction of clarinet virtuosity eventually clears for the lyrical Adagio melody.  The energy soon rises again to a feverish pitch, ushering in the vigorous Italian tarantella folk dance, originally employed to supposedly cure the venomous effects of a tarantula spider bite.  The two keys, roughly equally employed, are F Minor and F Major, and the two time signatures are 4/4 and 6/8.