Cosi fan Busoni

[Cato]

Here is an article on Busoni's Piano Concerto from this weekend's Wall Street Journal:

http://www.wsj.com/articles/music-to-grow-into-1481909545

An excerpt:

"...The best musical ears of his time, and some later ones, judged him a unique pianist, perhaps the greatest in a golden age of pianism. The Danish pianist Gunnar Johansen recalled, "We spoke of 'Der Busoni,' as if he were a monument." The young Arthur Rubinstein called him "the all-inspiring master...with his handsome, pale, Christ-like face, and his diabolical technical prowess." After hearing him perform six all-Liszt recitals in Berlin in 1911, my own teacher, Arthur Loesser, called Busoni "unforgettable, shocking even." The element of shock, mystery and awe comes up in most descriptions of his playing....

...The one I would recommend to the Busoni novice is the massive Piano Concerto, Op. 39 (1904). The ultimate statement of the Romantic concerto, it is a work worthy to grow into. The concerto is Busoni's musical farewell to the 19th century....

...The work was conceived as a spiritual exercise, the odd-number movements forming for the composer his vision of transcendence. The first movement, Prologo e Introito (Prologue and Introduction), serves as an elegiac and noble overture. It takes no less than four minutes for the piano to enter. The second movement, Pezzo Giocoso (Playful Piece), is full of bravura with strange harmonic tints. The movement is as sad as it is playful. The third movement, Pezzo Serioso (Serious Piece), is the core of the concerto, more than 20 minutes long, and the most complex slow movement in all concerto literature. All'Italiana (In the Italian Style), the fourth movement, is described by the composer as "coming out of the forum into a crowded Roman Street." The music is glistening and filled with glaring sunlight. One may call it a large spiritual Tarantella. Here is Busoni's tribute to his beloved Italy.

The fifth movement, Cantico (Canticle), is unique. What makes it so is the male chorus, which sings text from the final scene of "Aladdin" by the Danish early Romantic poet Adam Oehlenschlager. In keeping with the mysticism underlying the concerto, Busoni described this movement as expressing "some original inborn quality in a person which, in the course of years, comes out again in him purified and matured as he reaches the last phase of his transformation." Busoni subtly incorporates former themes; the movement is bittersweet and jubilant, concluding with a short fanfare for piano and orchestra....

[snyprrr]

Does everyone recommend Hamelin's survey above all others?

I do like his 'Toccata', by Brendel, but, I'm not sure if I've been able to deal with a lot of Busoni. I seem to hear "mushy"... what do I need to hear; where did I go wrong? (solo piano only)

[lescamil]

Does everyone recommend Hamelin's survey above all others?

Hamelin is great, but, like many other large masterpieces, this isn't a piece where you can just have one interpretation. Hamelin is the benchmark, but Ogdon and Ohlsson are also essential listening for different reasons. Hamelin would be great if you don't know the work at all, since he brings out a lot of the details in the work that many gloss over, whereas the other two would be for if you already know it well and want to hear some things done a tad differently, such as the opening of the work where the piano comes in, which Hamelin admittedly does a little bit flatly.

[snyprrr]

Hamelin is great, but, like many other large masterpieces, this isn't a piece where you can just have one interpretation. Hamelin is the benchmark, but Ogdon and Ohlsson are also essential listening for different reasons. Hamelin would be great if you don't know the work at all, since he brings out a lot of the details in the work that many gloss over, whereas the other two would be for if you already know it well and want to hear some things done a tad differently, such as the opening of the work where the piano comes in, which Hamelin admittedly does a little bit flatly.

Oh, sorry, not the PC, just his survey of the solo works. I... can't... handle the PC

[lescamil]

Oh, sorry, not the PC, just his survey of the solo works. I... can't... handle the PC

Shame! It's probably the best thing Busoni wrote.

[lescamil]

The Indian Fantasy is ridiculously good 

I personally find it to be an enigma. I've only heard it a handful of times, but it seems compositionally a bit unfocused. It has some intriguing ideas but just doesn't seem to come together for me. The Piano Concerto was the first thing I heard of his works for piano and orchestra, and it set the benchmark way too high for me, I guess.

[ahinton]

Hamelin is great, but, like many other large masterpieces, this isn't a piece where you can just have one interpretation. Hamelin is the benchmark, but Ogdon and Ohlsson are also essential listening for different reasons. Hamelin would be great if you don't know the work at all, since he brings out a lot of the details in the work that many gloss over, whereas the other two would be for if you already know it well and want to hear some things done a tad differently, such as the opening of the work where the piano comes in, which Hamelin admittedly does a little bit flatly.

Donohoe's is well worth getting as well.

[lescamil]

Donohoe's is well worth getting as well.

This is true. I love everything about that recording except how bright the piano can be at times.

[not edward]

Donohoe's is well worth getting as well.

Is it in print again? I've not heard a better recording of the piece; it radiates conviction in every bar, and the cumulative momentum of the fourth movement is astonishing.

[Zeus]

[size=78%]Checking out the Busoni Fantasy [Chandos] now.[/size]

EDIT: ^^^ what's with these size tags    I didn't put them there.

Checking out the Busoni Fantasy [Chandos] now.
Also, picked up this new Busoni release.




The Piano Concerto [I've got Hamelin] is certainly a monster, and one of my favorites. But it's nice to hear some "light" Busoni as well. I feel I ought to explore this composer more.

[SurprisedByBeauty]

Classical CD Of The Week: Amid Debussy and Arno Breker

http://bit.ly/CDoftheWeek50

[Scion7]

Recommendations for recordings using the cadenzas he wrote?

Beethoven Violin Concerto, op.61, -  3 cadenzas, violin, timpani
Brahms Violin Concerto, op.77, violin, timpani
Mozart Piano Concerti., k271, k453, k459, k466 [2 versions], k467, k482, k488, k491, k503; Cl Conc. k622, 2nd movt, cl, orch; Fl Concs., k313, k314, 2nd movt, fl, orch

(if any exist)

[SurprisedByBeauty]

Here's a tempting Busoni disc you don't really need:


The Gap Sadly Unfilled: Boult's Abridged Busoni
https://www.classicstoday.com/review/the-gap-sadly-unfilled-boults-abridged-busoni/?search=1

[Mandryka]

Busoni SQs 1-2/Quartetto Webern (Tacit):

No.2 in d minor Op.26 didn't take two listens to acheive materpiece status! Right out of the barn door, this SQ means business. I suppose this is what I imagined Schumann's SQs would sound like, but Busoni resides more in the world than in the head here. The feeling of listening to ancient dances is overpowering for me here. This could be Bach's SQ! But there is much from the late LvB SQs here too, but then, they also illicit the "ancient dances" feeling in me. After listening to these two works I am just in another world, similar in feeling to listening to Borodin's SQ No.1.

Very well put.  This is a quartet which should be tried by people who can enjoy Schumann and late Beethoven.

[Mandryka]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mhDe3EsIYsU

Ronald Stevenson doc.

[Mandryka]

This CD contains a really impressive performance of the Fantasia Contrappuntistica - it is light; it is more about expressive lyricism than about barnstorming virtuosity;  it is unified and coherent. It's a revelation for me. Well recorded too.

Giuseppe Mariotti seems to be an established and well respected pianist, at least if the internet can be believed. This is his only recording as far as I can see - that's a shame!

[Cato]

To balance all the piano works, allow me to offer a reminder that Busoni composed an excellent, ear-catching Violin Concerto.

[T. D.]

This CD contains a really impressive performance of the Fantasia Contrappuntistica - it is light; it is more about expressive lyricism than about barnstorming virtuosity;  it is unified and coherent. It's a revelation for me. Well recorded too.

Giuseppe Mariotti seems to be an established and well respected pianist, at least if the internet can be believed. This is his only recording as far as I can see - that's a shame!

I've owned that obscure recording forever. Enjoy it and listen regularly. Must have purchased it from Berkshire Record Outlet (cutout vendor) decades ago.
Surprising he hasn't made more recordings, but he has a good professorship job. OTOH, how much money could he have made from recordings?

[ritter]

This CD contains a really impressive performance of the Fantasia Contrappuntistica - it is light; it is more about expressive lyricism than about barnstorming virtuosity;  it is unified and coherent. It's a revelation for me. Well recorded too.

Giuseppe Mariotti seems to be an established and well respected pianist, at least if the internet can be believed. This is his only recording as far as I can see - that's a shame!

I've owned that obscure recording forever. Enjoy it and listen regularly. Must have purchased it from Berkshire Record Outlet (cutout vendor) decades ago.
Surprising he hasn't made more recordings, but he has a good professorship job. OTOH, how much money could he have made from recordings?

I presume that recording of the Fantasia contrappuntistica is the same as the one contained in this excellent 3-CD survey of Busoni's piano music:



I really enjoy Mariotti's playing (I've owned the set for many years, but must admit that I haven't listened to the Fantasia for quite some time).

[Mandryka]

I presume that recording of the Fantasia contrappuntistica is the same as the one contained in this excellent 3-CD survey of Busoni's piano music:



I really enjoy Mariotti's playing (I've owned the set for many years, but must admit that I haven't listened to the Fantasia for quite some time).

Gosh! I want that set!