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 for clarinet and piano derives from the first print of 1865 and is completed by another, yet unknown “Rigoletto” adaption by Bassi. The introduction to the quartet “Bella figlia dell'amore,” composed a few years earlier, is combining the sophisticated handling of themes with practical clarinet-like ornamentati...