The essence of Busoni's music is a synthesis of Italian and German ancestry, combining emotion and intellect, and imagination with rigor.
Johann Sebastian Bach was a pervasive presence in Busoni's work, influencing both his compositions and his performance repertoire.
Busoni made his debut as a pianist in Trieste in 1874 and later studied with Carl Reinecke in Leipzig on the suggestion of Johannes Brahms.
Ferruccio Busoni, born in 1866, was the only child of a clarinettist father and a pianist mother.
Busoni's approach to the musical past was 'recreative', integrating harmonic and tonal innovations with historical styles.
Piano music forms the largest part of Ferruccio Busoni's output, despite his significant orchestral works and four operas.
Wolf Harden, the pianist on this album, is known for his versatility and for founding the Trio Fontenay in 1980.
