Ferruccio Busoni

[JohnOgdon]

He is an absolutely wonderful composer, who is not given his due. For example, works like the piano concerto, elegies, and bach fantasy are some of the most individual and gorgeous works of the period (I haven't actually come across a recording of Fantasia Contrapuntistica yet). Anybody have any thoughts on Busoni? (do let me know if you have a recording of Ogdon in FC!)

[eddie92099]

And the Chopin variations are great fun,
Ed

[Noah]

I can't stand the Bach-Busoni Chaconne... it's just destruction of the original work.

[JohnOgdon]

I agree, I am not a huge fan of the transcriptions.

[hassid]

Those interested in unusual piano music should come to the Good Shepherd Church on 66th street tomorrow at 7:30 PM. Great young American pianist Adam Neiman is going to perform 2 rarities - Strauss: Piano Quartet and the virtuosic Spohr: Piano Quintet. It going to be awesome.   www.jupitersymphony.com

[ramseytheii]

I can't stand the Bach-Busoni Chaconne... it's just destruction of the original work.

Many people don't seem to like this piece, but then again, many do, since it is definitely in the "overplayed" column.  I think the problem actually rests more with the performances than the piece itself, because I think it should be performed ideally in a more Classical, restrained style, then in a bombastic Romantic idiom.  Yes it has al of the virtuoso trappings, but too much focus on those will really lose the arch structure of the piece, which Busoni decorated ingeniously.  Unfortauntely he did not change enough things to have the piece classed alongside the Godowsky-Chopin etudes, which are sort of transliterations, and I like to think of this Chaconne as being a piece more like that, then just a piano version of the Chaconne.  If you want that, play Brahms' version for left hand alone.

Busoni is one of my great inspirations, I have read his ltters and essays on music, but not heard as much of his music as I probably should have.  Somehow his music itself does not appeal to me as much.  But I highly recommend his editions of the WTC, the first being mainly for pianists, the second mainly for composers; the second is especially fascinating.  Also he made an edition of the Goldberg Variations which is somehwat offensive today because he made some cuts, and reordered other variations, but still, there are fascinating and unforgettable ideas inside.  I miss this era, where great artists like Schnabel, Busoni, Cortot, Paderewski, etc, made editions of works, leaving behind a greater record of their organic and original artistry than any pianist does today just by making recordings.  They included along with the recordings (in some cases scant), a poetic record that showed their very deep involvement with whatever music they were playing.  I actually seek out Bach editions from 100 years ago, the ones with all the disgusting dynamics etc, because the preface notes can be so interesting, poetic, and inspirational.  What do we get these days?  A treatise on all the manuscripts, their locations, their minute differences, the differences in ink and handwriting, what a colossal bore!

Walter Ramsey