Carnival of Venice (song)

The "Carnival of Venice" is based on a Neapolitan folk tune called "O Mamma, Mamma Cara"[1] and popularized by violinist and composer Niccolò Paganini, who wrote twenty variations on the original tune.

[citation needed] A series of theme and variations has been written for solo cornet, as "show off" pieces that contain virtuoso displays of double and triple tonguing, and fast tempos.

Since Paganini, many variations on the theme have been written, most notably those by Jean-Baptiste Arban, Del Staigers, Herbert L. Clarke for the cornet, trumpet, and euphonium, Francisco Tárrega and Johann Kaspar Mertz for classical guitar, Ignace Gibsone and Louis Moreau Gottschalk for piano, and Giovanni Bottesini for double bass.

The piece has also been arranged for tuba, notably played by John Fletcher and available on the CD The Best of Fletch.

Other tubists whose performances of the piece are noteworthy include Øystein Baadsvik, and Patrick Sheridan.