Busoni: Toccata, BV 287, Elegien, BV 252, Sonatina No. 6, BV 284 & Toccata, Adagio & Fugue in C Major, BV B 29 No. 1

Featuring

Peter Donohoe
Ferruccio Busoni

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Composer Biography

Unlike many composer-pianists of his generation, Busoni rarely played his own music in public, and when he did, he often made cuts, variants, and revisions.

Composition History

Busoni's Toccata in C major, BWV 564, a transcription of a Bach organ work, was a mainstay of his concert repertoire and premiered in Manchester in 1899.

Composition History

The Elegien (Elegies) by Busoni were dedicated to promising young pianists, but of the six, one committed suicide and two died in obscurity.

Critical Reception

Busoni's Sonatina super Carmen received a 'chilly reception' from some critics, who saw it as a return to a 'despised Lisztian tradition' of operatic piano fantasies.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Ferruccio Busoni, a composer-pianist, sought to create 'Young Classicality' in his music, aiming for new sounds that emerged from the past.

Compositional Technique

Busoni's fourth Elegy, 'Turandots Frauengemach', transforms the well-known tune 'Greensleeves' into a brilliant and witty showpiece.

Recording & Production

This recording utilizes 24-bit / 96 kHz technology, which offers a dynamic range up to 48 dB greater and 256 times the resolution of standard 16-bit recordings.