Cosi fan Busoni

[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!

[T. D.]

I didn't know of that 3-CD set. I looked on discogs last night and all they indicated was the 1 CD.
But the set was released in 1998 and shows on Mariotti's own site. I'll search more when I have time.

[ritter]

Indeed, Discogs does not list this release. Allmusic.com has more information.The Fonè label from Pisa (AFAIK, a rather personal effort by its founder Giulio Cesare Ricci) is still operative, but I cannot find any mention of the Mariotti / Busoni releases on its webpage (or of another niche of the repertoire they worked on, the CDs of which are also in my collection, namely live recordings of the obscurer Mascagni operas from Livorno).

[Mandryka]

There's this rather enigmatic page on amazon.co.uk. I'll get in touch with them and see whether they'll refund me if that £9.95 listing turns out to be for something else (if you click on it you'll see why I'm slightly concerned)


https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B000003XMF

And amazon say "As I have checked, this item is currently unavailable on the website, due to which you are getting different item." So that's that.

[ritter]

Damn! Well, if I see a copy anywhere, I'll let you know.

I'm listening to Mariotti's recording of the Fantasia contrappuntistica as I write, and your description is spot on. "Expressive lyricism" is an excellent description. Music making of the highest calibre! 

[T. D.]

There's this rather enigmatic page on amazon.co.uk. I'll get in touch with them and see whether they'll refund me if that £9.95 listing turns out to be for something else (if you click on it you'll see why I'm slightly concerned)


https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B000003XMF

And amazon say "As I have checked, this item is currently unavailable on the website, due to which you are getting different item." So that's that.

Amazon US shows an offering by a Marketplace seller, but I fear the item may be misidentified and their classical database has become such crap that I wouldn't order without contacting the seller and asking for specifics.

https://www.amazon.com/Busoni-Piano-Works-Ferruccio/dp/B000003XMF

[Mandryka]

There are a lot of recordings of the second violin sonata. I have only heard Kremer/Afanassiev. Are there any special ones I'm missing?

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/works/20714--busoni-violin-sonata-no-2-in-e-minor-op-36a/browse

[Cato]

Try this one from the 1950's with Joseph Szigeti, one of the great violinists of the last century:

I find the vibrato almost wobbles off into quarter-tones, which I find fascinating, others might find it too distracting.


Then we have this one from the 1950's with Max Rostal: the vibrato is much tighter.

[Mandryka]

Amazon US shows an offering by a Marketplace seller, but I fear the item may be misidentified and their classical database has become such crap that I wouldn't order without contacting the seller and asking for specifics.

https://www.amazon.com/Busoni-Piano-Works-Ferruccio/dp/B000003XMF

Well blow me down with a feather! It's on spotify and presto. Fone must read GMG.

https://open.spotify.com/album/6fbrvHuZzRPpggIO44EOab?si=SnFGoHGWQ9KokLFAEL9CFw

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/9643699--ferruccio-busoni

[T. D.]

Well blow me down with a feather! It's on spotify and presto. Fone must read GMG.

https://open.spotify.com/album/6fbrvHuZzRPpggIO44EOab?si=SnFGoHGWQ9KokLFAEL9CFw

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/9643699--ferruccio-busoni

Those downloads look like (originally) 1-CD releases, not the enigmatic 3-CD set alluded to upthread.

[Mandryka]

Those downloads look like (originally) 1-CD releases, not the enigmatic 3-CD set alluded to upthread.

The same performances - three separate CDs on spotify, at least here in the UK. Not sure about presto.

[T. D.]

Thanks.

[Symphonic Addict]

Another release for November I suppose:

[T. D.]

Another release for November I suppose:

Outstanding (though quirky) opera. I once saw it live, have the old Leitner recording. There have been several recordings (incl. DVD releases), Nagano mainly comes to mind. But it's good to see more.

[Mandryka]

Mariotti makes the Chopin variations sound like a high point of 20th century piano music.