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Cavallini

Ernesto Cavallini (1807–1874) was an Italian clarinettist and composer, principal clarinet at La Scala in Milan, who was celebrated across Europe as the outstanding virtuoso of his instrument in the mid-nineteenth century. His technical command was such that contemporaries dubbed him the "Paganini of the clarinet", a comparison that gives some sense of the sensation he caused in concert. His compositions, which include fantasias, variations, and the well-known Adagio and Tarantella, were written to showcase the expressive and technical range of the clarinet and remain in regular use in teaching and recital programmes.

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