Busoni: Violin Sonatas Nos. 1 & 2 & 4 Bagatelles

Featuring

Francesca Dego
Francesca Leonardi
Ferruccio Busoni

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Composer Biography

Ferruccio Busoni, the composer, initially struggled to achieve fame despite early success as a virtuoso pianist, finding setbacks in Vienna particularly disheartening.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Busoni used a chorale melody in his Second Violin Sonata to illustrate his concept of 'The Oneness of Music', a music that is neither sacred nor secular and floats freely in time and space.

Performer Biography

Francesca Dego, the violinist on this album, made her concerto debut in California at age seven and was the first Italian female prize-winner in nearly 50 years at the prestigious Premio Paganini.

Composition History

The First Violin Sonata was submitted by Busoni to the first Rubinstein Competition in St Petersburg in 1890, where he won the composition prize.

Critical Reception

Busoni's compositions submitted to the Rubinstein Competition, including the First Violin Sonata, were not well-received by critics, with one stating they contained 'nothing exceptional'.

Compositional Technique

The Second Violin Sonata by Busoni has a circular structure, with a chorale ('Wie wohl ist mir', BWV 517, from the Clavier-Büchlein for Anna Magdalena Bach) placed at its center, and the opening motto theme returning at the close.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Busoni's work frequently incorporates melodic material from various sources, including folksongs, plainchant, and Jewish, Arabian, and Chinese melodies, which he later embraced as part of his concept of 'The Oneness of Music'.