The pieces on this album were effectively suggested by Busoni himself, all based on works by Mozart or Bach with varying degrees of his own input.
Composer Biography
Ferruccio Busoni, the composer, was considered one of the late-Romantic era's most remarkable piano virtuosi and a fascinating composer.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Busoni's engagement with the music of Bach not only led to fine arrangements for piano but also stimulated his own creative imagination.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Busoni's essays, such as 'Sketch of a New Aesthetic of Music' (1907), helped define his creative approach and challenged his contemporaries.
Composition History
Busoni proposed a notional 'sonata' structure for his two-piano works, including his 'Improvisation on the Bach Chorale' as the first movement.
Recording & Production
This recording was made possible through a research grant from Birmingham Conservatoire (U.C.E.) and features pianists Allan Schiller and John Humphreys.
Composition History
Busoni's 'Fantasia Contrappuntistica' for two pianos, his most ambitious piano work, was created because he felt it was a "disproportionate task for ten fingers" but "easy and transparent" for twenty.
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