Mystery Composer Portrait

[Mark]

Is 5 Mendelssohn?

Nope. I'll give you a clue: he's Italian, and his first name begins with 'D'.

[btpaul674]

I have no clue. the only thing I can remotely think of is Alberti.

[Szykneij]

 
Guillaume Dufay?

oops  You said first name, not last. My bad.

[Szykneij]

Scarlatti?

[Mark]

Time for more clues, I guess.

The composer whose portrait is No. 5 was a child prodigy, the majority of his works are for piano, and the first version of his largest and best known solo piano work (which lasts about half an hour) was published in 1910.

[BachQ]

Time for more clues, I guess.

The composer whose portrait is No. 5 was a child prodigy, the majority of his works are for piano, and the first version of his largest and best known solo piano work (which lasts about half an hour) was published in 1910.

Busoni

[BachQ]

was a child prodigy,

BTW, wasn't EVERY "great" composer a child prodigy?  (except for Elgar)

[Maciek]

That Busoni was one ugly dude...

[Lethevich]

BTW, wasn't EVERY "great" composer a child prodigy?  (except for Elgar)

Berlioz is the only notable one I can think of - he couldn't even play the piano well.

Guillaume Dufay?

Portraits from Dufay's time tended to look like this:

[Mark]

Yes, it was Busoni. Well done.

Anyone else want to post a manipulated composer portrait to keep the game going?

[lukeottevanger]

I'd have siad Busoni based on your biographical clues, but Busoni's first name started with F, didn't it? [Answer - yes] I am confused. 

[Maciek]

It was a false lead. You know, to make things more interesting...

[BachQ]

I'd have siad Busoni based on your biographical clues, but Busoni's first name started with F, didn't it? [Answer - yes] I am confused. 

Dante Michelangelo Benvenuto Ferruccio Busoni

[Mark]

I'd have siad Busoni based on your biographical clues, but Busoni's first name started with F, didn't it? [Answer - yes] I am confused. 

No, it didn't. His full name was Dante Michelangelo Benvenuto Ferruccio Busoni. Though I admit, I was trying to throw you off the trail with that.

[BachQ]

Is this the original portrait?  It looks very, very different .........

[lukeottevanger]

No, it didn't. His full name was Dante Michelangelo Benvenuto Ferruccio Busoni. Though I admit, I was trying to throw you off the trail with that.

Ah, I see you're taking the tired old conventional meaning of the word 'first'.....

[Mark]

Is this the original portrait?  It looks very, very different .........

Yep.

[Kullervo]

Berlioz is the only notable one I can think of - he couldn't even play the piano well.

No, but he was supposedly very proficient with the Spanish guitar.

[Lethevich]

No, but he was supposedly very proficient with the Spanish guitar.

Hrm... I had to trawl through the two David Cairns bios and the Mémoires a few weeks ago but don't recall much praising his playing skills (on a technical level) of anything - but I guess I skipped plenty of segments, and wasn't enjoying it as much as casually reading, as I was doing it to try to write a condensed biography...

[Kullervo]

Hrm... I had to trawl through the two David Cairns bios and the Mémoires a few weeks ago but don't recall much praising his playing skills (on a technical level) of anything - but I guess I skipped plenty of segments, and wasn't enjoying it as much as casually reading, as I was doing it to try to write a condensed biography...

Charles Rosen's The Romantic Generation mentions it and an essay by Hindemith (I think) says he "mastered" the instrument.