IDAGIO | Busoni - Concerto for Piano, Orchestra and Male Choir Op. 39 747313914180

Featuring

David Lively
Michael Gielen
Freiburger Vokalensemble
SWF - Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden
Ferruccio Busoni

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Performer Biography

Michael Gielen, the conductor, was an advocate for Busoni's works throughout his life and became familiar with the composer's music through his uncle, pianist Eduard Steuermann.

Performer Biography

David Lively, the French-American pianist on this recording, has won multiple international prizes, including the Special Prize for Contemporary Music at the International Tchaikovsky Competition.

Composition History

Busoni's Piano Concerto, Op. 39, was completed in score form on August 3, 1904, after he had worked on it while touring extensively as a concert pianist.

Composer Biography

Ferruccio Busoni, the composer, was the son of an Italian clarinettist and a German-born pianist, and grew up in Trieste.

Compositional Technique

Busoni's Piano Concerto is unique in the piano concerto literature due to its five-movement structure, its chorus finale, and its duration, which is comparable to a Mahler symphony.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Busoni did not see his 'Concerto' as following the tradition of brilliant virtuoso concertos or symphonic concertos, but rather aimed for a subtle intertwining of piano and orchestra.

Critical Reception

The premiere of Busoni's Piano Concerto on November 10, 1904, was met with disapproval from both the audience and most critics, who called it 'infernal noise' or 'a flood of cacophony'.