Servais - Le Carnaval de Venise, Op. 9 (Urtext Edition, Piano Version)

Carnaval de Venise was first penned under the title “Fantaisie Burlesque,” dedicated to Arkady Rachmaninoff, the paternal grandfather of the famous Russian composer. The published title page retains the title of “Fantaisie Burlesque” but adds the subtitle “ou le Carnaval de Venise.” Many composers used this theme of “Cara mamma mia” for their variation sets, including Niccoló Paganini and Heinrich Ernst for violin, and Friedrich Dotzauer for cello. The latter set was published only a year prior to the set by Servais, in 1850.

Carnaval de Venise, like many other fantasies by Servais, is constructed in variation form. The introduction is based on a song about Pulcinella. This melody makes another appearance later in the Fan-taisie finale beginning in m. 278. The main theme of the work is the aforementioned melody “Cara mamma mia.”

The Fantaisie has two key centers and some chromatic peculiarities. The introduction centers around the key of A, both major and minor. The recitative that follows begins in A minor and makes the music seem like it will return to A major, but then abruptly turns to C major for the “Cara” theme. The “Cara” theme is treated with two variations, exploring octaves, trills, up-bow staccatos, and the entire range of the cello. Variations 1 and 2 are followed by a short, orchestral interlude and a longer, unnumbered, slow variation in E major. The next interlude is lengthier than the first. The finale begins with the Pulcinella melody in A major. In one of the Pulcinella iterations, at mm. 286-293, the tonality is obscured with chromaticism. The rest of the work is filled with virtuosic arpeggiation in the solo part, while the orchestra mixes the Pulcinella and “Cara” themes.