Longtime readers of this blog know that there are countless unsolved mysteries of clarinet history, and I’m fascinated by these! Today, we’re delving into a work which I consider to be one of the top 50 standard works for clarinet – Rossini’s Introduction, Theme and Variations! Background Italian composer Gioachino Rossini (1792-1868) composed Introduction, Theme and Variations around 1819, and it was dedicated to clarinetist Allesandro Abate. Abate was a clarinet professor in Naples, Italy, and he performed as principal clarinet at the Teatro La Munizione in Messina from 1815-1816. The Introduction features lyrically florid clarinet passages, demonstrating the instrument’s expressive capabilities. The music is from Rossini’s opera Mosè in Egitto…