Busoni

[ahinton]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b084cpk8#play

It's only taken BBC just over 8 months to get itself around to commemorating the composer's 150th anniversary but at least it's done so now.

Some good things indeed but the musical examples were almost embarrassingly brief.

But the Piano Concerto at 80 minutes? Most performances and recordings are around the 70 minute mark! There was one recording that distended it to almost 90, about which the less said the better...

Any thoughts?

Best,

Alistair

[roncesvalles]

That's definitely not faster than the thoughts of man.    Busoni probably would have abhorred such a significantly sluggish performance.   Was the entire concerto slow, or were any sections privileged? 

I'm glad they tried Busoni, at least, even if a plodding performance of a monumental work might ward off some.   Busoni is for me one of the most rewarding (and re-rewarding) composers of the 20th century.