Ferruccio Busoni, the composer of one of the violin concertos on this album, was a child prodigy who could play by ear at age four, with a childhood marked by constant travel and piano recitals, similar to Mozart's.
Compositional Technique
Busoni's Violin Concerto structurally follows Franz Liszt's preferred pattern of a single movement made up of sections based on standard symphonic units.
Composition History
Brahms's Violin Concerto was originally planned for four movements, including an adagio and a scherzo, but the two inner movements were dropped and replaced by a new slow movement.
Composition History
Busoni's Violin Concerto was dedicated to his friend Henri Petri, a Dutch violinist who had studied with Joseph Joachim, to whom Brahms had dedicated his Violin Concerto.
Critical Reception
Busoni's Violin Concerto was initially successful, entering the repertoire of virtuosos like Adolf Busch and Fritz Kreisler, but has since faded from sight.
Critical Reception
Brahms's Violin Concerto was initially slow to be embraced by contemporary violinists, with some calling it 'unplayable' due to its technical difficulties.
Interpretation
Francesca Dego, the soloist on this album, chose to play the cadenza written by Ferruccio Busoni for Brahms's Violin Concerto, which uses lines and technical solutions similar to Busoni's own concerto.
