Cappelli (ed. Crawford) - Fantasia di Ruy Blas for E-flat Clarinet and Piano

Giuseppe Cappelli - Fantasia di Ruy Blas for Eb Clarinet and Piano, edited by Elizabeth Crawford. Giuseppe Cappelli composed Fantasia di Ruy Blas after Filippo Marchetti’s opera Ruy Blas, in 1886. The opera was a four-act dramma lirico set to a libretto by Carlo d’Ormeville after Victor Hugo’s 1838 historical drama of the same name. The Fantasia begins with a dramatic opening for E-flat clarinet and piano taken from the Preludio. This leads into the first Andantino, the Duetto for soprano and tenor of Act 3, Scene 3, “Dietro quell’uscio.” Music in the Andante sostenuto section is lifted from Marchetti’s most famous aria of the opera (and his career)—“O dolce volutta!” Here an impassioned Ruy Blas shares his joy at the news the queen is in love with him. Though out of order from the opera, the queen’s light-hearted love song, “Che t’amo,” follows and Cappelli affords the E-flat clarinet an opportunity for embellishment of the original aria. One final lyrical passage, taken from Regina’s somber aria, “O madre mia,” of Act 2, Scene 1, concludes the fantasy before Cappelli’s energetic finale of original material. Published by Potenza Music.