This list of recorded works is not complete. The recording artists are listed under each item with a link (v) to the recording description in the section Recording details. Details for some recordings are on the individual artist's page, and these links are indicated with ( • ). The date given is for the completion of composition.
Soloist with orchestra
Original works
Concertstück [Concert Piece] for piano and orchestra, Op. 31a (1890) BV236
v Holger Groschopp, piano (Part 1, No. 1, Prelude and Fugue in C major, BWV 846 "Widmung"; No. 3, Prelude in C sharp Major, BWV 848; No. 21 Prelude in B flat Major, BWV 866)
Bach: Prelude and Fugue in E minor for organ, BWV 533, tr. for piano (1894) BVB26
Cramer: 8 Etudes de piano par JB Cramer choisies des 16 nouvelles études, Op 81, edited for piano by Busoni (1897), published that year, then reprinted with slight alterations as part of "Klavierübung in Five Parts" (First Edition): Part 4: Eight Etudes by Cramer (1921) and with further changes in "Klavierübung in Ten Books" (Second Edition): Book 7: Eight Etudes after Cramer (published posthumously 1925) BVB53
Liszt: Mephisto Waltz from Deux Épisodes d'apres le Faust de Lenau (S.110 no. 2) (Mephisto Waltz No. 2: "Der Tanz in der Dorfschenke"), ed. for piano (1904) BVB61
Liszt, Grandes études de Paganini, S141: Etude No. 2 (in E-flat major) after Paganini (S.141, no. 2), Andantino capriccioso, ed. for piano (1916) BVB70
Mozart: Adagio and Fugue in C Minor, K. 546, the fugue was partly transcribed for piano by Busoni (ca. 1888) and the entire transcription was completed by Groschopp BVB B94
Klavierübung in 5 Parts: Part 2: Three Piano Tutorials and Preludes: VII Trills: Liszt: Gondoliera, S.162 No. 1 from Venezia e Napoli, ed. for piano by Busoni
Klavierübung in 5 Parts: Part 3: Staccato: Variations-Studie nach Mozart No. 1 after Serenata from Don Giovanni (K.527), an altered version of the Giga e Variazione from Book 3 of An die JugendBVB 254
Klavierübung in 5 Parts: Part 3: Staccato: Nach Mendelssohn, Vivace assai (the Presto from the Mendelssohn-Liszt edition of the Wedding March and Elfin Chorus, S.410)
Reviews: Christopher Field in BBC Music Magazine (Online review.; retrieved 25 May 2009) awarded this recording 5/5 stars for performance and 5/5 stars for sound. The concerti "are given committed performances by Ingolf Turban, a young talent not short of either lyrical tone or dazzling virtuosity. Busoni's concerto is really the most interesting piece with its occasional parody of Beethoven and Brahms, its fiendishly difficult finale and some wonderful orchestral solos managed masterfully by the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra." Andrew Clements in The Guardian (Classical CD; retrieved 30 July 2014]) says, "...Frank Peter Zimmermann's neat, intelligent violin playing is a delight...".
Selects the Donohoe recording as his first choice among the seven performances available at the time the review was written. Ogdon was his second choice. Also reviews the recordings by Ohlsson, Battel, Lively, Thiollier, and Postnikova.
Prefers Donohoe's recording to those by Banfield, Ohlsson, and Ogdon, although he thinks all are worthwhile. "Busoni's Piano Concerto is renowned for being the longest in the repertory but it hasn't struck me so forcibly before that it's not a minute longer than it needs to be. Its ideas are big—try timing any of its principal themes—and in this reading one is continually surprised, looking at a watch or the display on the CD player, at how much time has elapsed. The first movement, after all, is no more than an expansive exposition of two themes: does it really play for nearly 16 minutes? This performance has in Mark Elder a conductor accustomed, after his work on the English National Opera's Doktor Faust, to thinking on a Busonian time-scale. It was also recorded in the grand acoustic of the Royal Albert Hall in London during a Prom concert in 1988, and there is a distinct sense that the players are aware of a space around them that is big enough for the music."
Recorded live at the Hamburg Musikhalle on 15, 16 January 1956. (68:25) (mono)
Reviewed by Adrian Corleonis in Fanfare, 29:2 (Nov/Dec 2005). Subscription required. Retrieved 9 September 2009.
"Busoni's Piano Concerto is caught in a spontaneous sweep beginning to end, turning volatile in the inner flanking movements—Johansen's Tarantella may be the swiftest on discs. Despite the brisk pace, there is a profound resonance with the mystery of the central Pezzo serioso and the concluding Cantico.... Garlanded in tape hiss and captured in flat, boxy/tubby mono—not nearly as distracting to hear as to read about—this performance wings through a half-century with remarkable detail, balance, and clarity. The ear adjusts, caught by an irresistible élan. A prime document of Busoniana, then, but something more—a rare conjunction of genius under favoring stars."
Mentioned favorably in Gramophone, November 2005, p. 99.. Retrieved 9 September 2009.
"Busoni's Piano Concerto played by Gunnar Johansen is a major find, especially as Hans Schmidt-Isserstedt's conducting (NDR Symphony, NDR's Men's Chorus) is so consistently impressive, both artists at their best in the Pezzo serioso third movement. Music & Arts has effected a decent transfer from the 1956 tape..."
"There are no interpretive revelations in this valiant but occasionally scrappy performance of an unfamiliar, demanding, briefly considered, and under-rehearsed work, likely given as an indulgence to the pianist. ... the soloist is deep in the background of a grainily tubby/shrill aural perspective beset by occasional distortion."
+Busoni: Sarabande und Cortège, Op. 51. Two studies for Doktor Faust, (Fifth and Sixth Elegies for Orchestra), BV 282 (1918-19): Royal Philharmonic Orchestra; Daniell Revenaugh, conductor.
+Busoni: Elegien. 7 neue Klavierstücke, BV 249 (1907), No. 4. Turandots Frauengemach (Intermezzo): John Ogdon, piano
+Busoni: Kammer-Fantasie über Carmen (Chamber Fantasy after Carmen) (Sonatina no. 6), BV 284 (1920): John Ogdon, piano
+Busoni: Zehn Variationen über ein Präludium von Chopin, BV 213a (1884 rev. 1922): John Ogdon, piano
+Busoni: Sonatina (no. 3) "ad usum infantis", BV 268 (1915): Thomas Adès, piano
Recording received 3 of 3 stars and high praise for the playing of Ohlsson: "Garrick Ohlsson's bravura display is very exciting, and the pianist's own enjoyment in virtuosity enhances his electricity..."
Comparative review of the Ogdon and Ohlsson recordings in Gramophone, April, 1990, p. 36. Retrieved 15 April 2009.
Piano Concerto recorded Studio 103, Radio France, February 1989.
Fantasia contrappuntistica recorded Salle Adyar, Paris, September 1990.
Originally issued as Erato 2292-45478-2, 1991; reissued on Apex, 2 August 2007.
Review of the original Erato release by Michael Stewart in Gramophone, April, 1992, p. 46. Retrieved 20 June 2009.
Notes the unusually slow tempi for both pieces. Although the playing by Postnikova and the orchestra in the concerto are outstanding, he finds that "ultimately [the interpretation] fails to convince." Goes on to say of the Fantasia contrappuntistica, that as fine as Postnikova is, "Ogdon's account is one of the finest committed to disc, and is a compulsory purchase for any discerning Busoni admirer."
"In short, the two suites make a very worthwhile coupling. I had not heard the Timișoara Philharmonic Orchestra before, nor Jean-François Antonioli as a conductor (he has a fine reputation as a pianist). They are first-class, and he has an acute ear for Busoni's orchestral sonority. The recording is rich and colourful."
"Violinist Joseph Lin won first prize at the inaugural Michael Hill World Violin Competition in New Zealand in 2001, appears on concert stages worldwide and is currently Professor of Violin at Cornell University. His partnership with acclaimed pianist Benjamin Loeb is exceptional and the recording is clear and well-focused."
Recorded 22–23 February and 12–15 December 1994; issued 1997.
Reviewed by Tim Payne in BBC Music Magazine, online.. Retrieved 22 June 2009.
Received 5/5 stars for sound and 3/5 stars for performance. "Anyone interested in discovering the work of Ferruccio Busoni would find this disc ideal."
^ Suite in G minor for clarinet and string quartet (1880) BV 176
^ Introduction by Spohr, Elegia by H. W. Ernst, transcribed for clarinet and string quartet (1887) BV B 110
^ Abendlied by Schumann, transcribed for clarinet and string quartet (1881) BV B 107
• 8 Character Pieces for Clarinet and Piano:
^ Solo dramatique, Op. 13, for clarinet and piano (1879) BV 101
^ Suite Op. 10, no. 6, Serenata for clarinet and piano (1878) BV 88
^ Andantino Op. 41, for clarinet and piano (1879) BV 107
^ Serenade no.2 Op. 42, for clarinet and piano (1879) BV 108
^ Suite Op. 10, no. 5, Tema variato for clarinet and piano (1878) BV 88
^ Suite Op. 10, no. 1, Improvvisata for clarinet and piano (1878) BV 88
^ Suite Op. 10, no. 2, Barcarola for clarinet and piano (1878) BV 88
^ Suite Op. 10, no. 4, Danza campestre for clarinet and piano (1878) BV 88
Andrew Cornall executive & recording producer; Philip Siney, balance engineer; Modus Music Ltd, recording & editing facilities; Nicky Claydon, production coordinator; Steinway & Sons, London, piano; Tim Parry, sleevenotes.
Recorded at Potton Hall, Dunwich, Suffolk, UK, on 28–30 June 2000; issued 12 February 2001.
^Bach: Two Toccatas and Fugues in C major and D minor for organ, BWV 564, 565 transcribed for piano by Busoni (1899) BV B 29
Tony Faulkner, recording engineer; Ateş Orga, recording producer; Joanna Gamble & Michael Spring, executive producers; Steinway, piano; Ateş Orga & Nikolai Demidenko, sleevenotes.
Recorded in St. Martin's Church, East Woodhay, Berkshire (sic.), UK, on 27 and 28 August 1991; issued January 1992.
^Bach: Two Toccatas and Fugues in C major and D minor for organ, BWV 564, 565 transcribed for piano by Busoni (1899) BV B 29
Ken Blair, recording engineer; Eric Smith, recording producer; Simon Perry & Michael Spring, executive producers; Fazioli, piano; Tim Parry, booklet editor; Charles Hopkins, sleevenotes.
Recorded in Forde Abbey, Somerset, UK, on 27 – 29 August 2001; issued February 2002.
^Bach: Fantasia, Adagio and Fugue, BWV 906, 968, transcribed for piano by Busoni (1914) BV B 37
Fantasia, (Movement 1 of Fantasia in C minor, BWV 906)
Adagio (after Movement 1 of Sonata No. 3 for solo violin, BWV 1005)
Fugue (Incomplete Movement 2 of Fantasia in C minor, BWV 906 - completed by Busoni)
John Taylor, producer and engineer; Richard Whitehouse, music notes.
Recorded at Potton Hall, Westleton, Suffolk, UK on 15 and 16 June 2009; issued December 2010.
^Goldmark: Concert Fantasy on Motives from "Merlin"(Trascrizione di concerto sopra motivi dell'opera Merlin), transcribed for piano by Busoni (1887) BV B 55
^Klavierübung in 5 Parts: Part III: Staccato: Variations-Studie nach Mozart No. 1 after Serenata from Don Giovanni (K.527), an altered version of the Giga e Variazione from Book 3 of An die Jugend, BV 254 BV 254
^ Sonatina (no. 3) "ad usum infantis" (1915) BV 268
^ Kammer-Fantasie über Carmen (Chamber Fantasy after Carmen) (Sonatina no. 6) (1920) BV 284
^ Fünf kurze Stücke zur Pflege des polyphonen Spiels auf dem Pianoforte (Five short pieces for the cultivation of polyphonic playing on the piano) (1923) BV 296
^ Kammer-Fantasie über Carmen (Chamber Fantasy after Carmen) (Sonatina no. 6) (1920) BV 284
^ Klavierskizze: Indiansiches Erntelied (ed. 1911, Antony Beaumont) (score held by Henselt Library Archived 12 August 2014 at the Wayback Machine , unlisted in BV catalog)
^ Zehn Variationen über ein Präludium von Chopin (1922) BV 213a
^ Fünf kurze Stücke zur Pflege des polyphonen Spiels auf dem Pianoforte. [Five short pieces for the cultivation of polyphonic playing on the piano.] Listed in this recording as Seven Short Pieces for the Cultivation of Polyphonic Playing (1923) BV 296
Recorded in Gran Teatro Giacomo Puccini, Torre del Lago, Lucca, Italy, 20–23 April 2013; released June 2014.
Reviewed favourably in "La Provincia", 26 June 2014 — Retrieved 23 August 2014:
"Il pianista italiano Sandro Ivo Bartoli dimostra in questo album ... di essere uno dei paladini più ispirati di queste opere, grazie una meravigliosa tavolozza sonora che riesce a esprimere alla perfezione le sonorità e le caratteristiche timbriche degli organo".
Aart van der Wal's review in Opus Klassiek, July 2014 — Retrieved 23 August 2014 – assesses the recordings as follows:
"De uitvoering door de Italiaanse pianist Sandro Ivo Bartoli munt uit in stijvolle articulatie, ritmische precisie, heel mooi gefraseerd, met de beide handen in volmaakt evenwicht (het spreekt voor zich dat in deze bewerkingen het muzikaal soortelijk gewicht van de linkerhand vaak dominant moet zijn en hier ook is). Dit zijn monumentale vertolkingen van monumentale muziek, en bovendien bijzonder fraai opgenomen."
CD 1:
^Bach: Prelude and Fugue in D major for organ, BWV 532 transcribed for piano by Busoni (1888) BV B 20
Recorded in the Enrico Caruso Auditorium, Gran Teatro Giacomo Puccini, Torre del Lago, Lucca, Italy, 14 & 15 January 2011; released March 2011.
Dr. Michael Loos review of this recording in klassik.com appears under the headline, "Spectacular and profound."
A review from Umberto Padroni in "Suono", July 2011 concludes:
"Sandro Ivo Bartoli integra con una tastiera eloquente e di colori smaltati l'arte dei suoi due grandi mentori." (The words "due grandi mentore" refer back to the reviewer's analysis of Liszt and Busoni.)
^Liszt: Mephisto Waltz from Deux Épisodes d'apres le Faust de Lenau (S.110 no. 2) (Mephisto Waltz No. 1: "Der Tanz in der Dorfschenke"), ed. for piano by Busoni (1904) BV B61
^Klavierübung in fünf Teilen (Piano tutorial in five parts) (First Edition): Part V: Variations. Perpetual motion. Scales.: Zehn Variationen über ein Präludium von Chopin (Ten Variations on a Prelude by Chopin), a shorter version of Zehn Variationen über ein Präludium von Chopin (1922) BV 213a
Reviewed favourably by Adrian Corleonis in Fanfare 33:4 (Mar/Apr 2010). Subscription required. Retrieved 22 August 2014. His remarks include:
"This collection of Busoni transcriptions, while far from complete, offers a number of previously unrecorded curiosities chiming in teasingly amid rarities and standards, in performances ranging from genial to towering. In the Fantasy and Fugue on Ad nos ... Groschopp takes the bit in a magisterial account which puts most organists to shame and casts Hamish Milne's prim go at the transcription into deep shade (Hyperion 67677, Fanfare 32:3)."
James Leonard at allmusic.com — Retrieved 22 August 2014 – says:
"Groschopp has the speed, the dexterity, and the strength to bring off the most technically difficult pieces, along with the intelligence, the character, and the charisma to make the most interpretively difficult pieces compelling."
CD 1:
^ Sonatina super 'Carmen'. Kammer-Fantasie über Bizets Carmen (1920) BV 284
^Brahms: Six Chorale Preludes for Organ, from Op. 122, transcribed for piano by Busoni (1902) BV B 50
^Nováček: Scherzo from the String Quartet No. 1 in E minor, transcribed for piano by Busoni (1892) BV B 95
^Klavierübung in 5 Parts: Part 3: Staccato: Variations-Studie nach Mozart No. 1 after Serenata from Don Giovanni (K.527), an altered version of the Giga e Variazione from Book 3 of An die Jugend, BV 254 BV 254
^Klavierübung in 5 Parts: Part 2: Three Piano Tutorials and Preludes: VII Trills: Liszt: Gondoliera, S.162 No. 1 from Venezia e Napoli, ed. for piano by Busoni
^ Fünf kurze Stücke zur Pflege des polyphonen Spiels auf dem Pianoforte. [Five short pieces for the cultivation of polyphonic playing on the piano.] (1923) BV 296
5. Preludio: Andante tranquillo
^Mozart: Adagio and Fugue in C Minor, K. 546, the fugue was partly transcribed for piano by Busoni (ca. 1888) and the entire transcription was completed by Groschopp BV B94
^Liszt: Mephisto Waltz from Deux Épisodes d'apres le Faust de Lenau (S.110 no. 2) (Mephisto Waltz No. 1: "Der Tanz in der Dorfschenke"), ed. for piano by Busoni (1904) BV B61
^Klavierübung in 5 Parts: Part 3: Staccato: Nach Mendelssohn, Vivace assai (the Presto from the Mendelssohn-Liszt edition of the Wedding March and Elfin Chorus, S.410)
Holger Groschopp, piano
CD4:
^Bach: Prelude and Fugue in E minor for organ, BWV 533, transcribed for piano by Busoni (1894) BV B 26
^Schubert Overture in E minor for Orchestra, D. 648 transcribed for piano by Busoni (1889) BV B 104
^ Variationen und Fuge in freier Form über Fr. Chopins c-Moll-Präludium (Op. 28, Nr. 20), Op. 22 (1884–1885) BV 213
Matteo Costa, Albert Frantz, Gabriele Robotti & Martin Klebahn, editing & engineers; Silvano Zanta, piano preparation; Carlo Grante, Kenneth Derus, Michael Finnissy & George Flynn, sleevenotes.
Reviewed by Scott Noriega in Fanfare 34:6 (July/Aug 2011). Subscription required. Retrieved 23 August 2014.
+Busoni: Sarabande und Cortège, Op. 51. Two studies for Doktor Faust, (Fifth and Sixth Elegies for Orchestra), BV 282 (1918-19): Royal Philharmonic Orchestra; Daniell Revenaugh, conductor.
"Ronald Stevenson calls Busoni's remarkable Fantasia contrappuntistica a masterpiece and, listening to John Ogdon's performance, one is tempted to agree. The Fantasia after J. S. Bach was written a year earlier and is among Busoni's most concentrated and powerful piano works."
Reviewed favorably by Peter J. Rabinowitz in Fanfare, 23:2 (Nov/Dec 1999). Subscription required. Retrieved 4 June 2009.
"It's not simply that she can control huge masses of sound or weld long strings of notes into a solid structure; she also has an extraordinary ability to give each polyphonic voice its own rhythmic character in a way that opens up the music's textures, a gift that pays special dividends in the Busoni."
^ Zehn Variationen über ein Präludium von Chopin Op. 22 second version (1922) BV 213a
Grand Piano GP613-14 (Naxos prod. page. Retrieved 29 July 2014.)
Recorded in Chiesa di Sant' Eusebio, Vicenza, Italy, 18-20, 31 May, 1 June 2011; issued 2011.
^ 8 Etudes de piano par JB Cramer choisies des 16 nouvelles études, Op 81, transcribed for piano by Busoni (1897), published that year, then reprinted with slight alterations as part of "Klavierübung in Five Parts" (First Edition): Part 4: Eight Etudes by Cramer (1921) and with further changes in "Klavierübung in Ten Books" (Second Edition): Book 7: Eight Etudes after Cramer (published posthumously 1925) BV B 53
Gianluca Luisi, piano
+ Cramer: 84 Études for piano in Four Books, Op. 50 (1804-1810)
Book 1, Gianluca Luisi, piano
Book 2, Alessandro Deljavan, piano
Book 3, Giampaolo Stuani, piano
Book 4, Gianluca Luisi, piano
A Cathedral for Bach: Busoni/Bach/Bartók. Piano Works. Jan Michiels.
Paul Janse, executive producer; Marcel van Tilburg & Marijke van der Harst, producers; Yannick Willox, recording engineer; 1875 Steinway (collection of Chris Maene),[5] piano; Peter Head, piano technician.
Jacob Greenberg, executive producer & editing producer; Ryan Streber, session producer, recording engineer, digital editing, mixing a& post-production; Steinway piano; Arlan Harris, piano technician; Jacob Greenberg, sleevenotes.
Recorded at Oktaven Audio, Yonkers, NY, USA. Schumann recorded 21–22 December 2010, Busoni recorded 8–9 January 2011. Recording made with sponsorship from the New York Foundation for the Arts. Released 11 October 2011.
Reviewed by Doyle Armbrust in Time Out Chicago, 20 July 2011 (. Retrieved 23 August 2014.) and was announced by that publication on 14 December 2011 as one of the 10 Best classical albums 2011 (. Retrieved 23 August 2014.)
Reviewed favourably by Scott Noriega in Fanfare 35:4 (Mar/Apr 2012). Subscription required. Retrieved 23 August 2014. His conclusion was:
"If you are looking for a fascinating recording, one that makes you think and feel, then look no further...Greenberg and Busoni make a perfect match."
George Fourié (Voswinkel); Lilian Sukis (Albertine); Gerald English (Thusman); Herbert Handt (Edmund Lehsen); Sigmund Nimsgern (Leonhard); Raffaele Arié (Manasse); Ermanno Lorenzi (Baron Bensch); Bruno Andreas (A Servant)
Note: Approximately one-third of the opera has been cut, including two complete scenes, and one of the remaining has been moved to a new position in the score.
Peter Matič (Arlecchino, spoken) /Robert Wörle (Arlecchino, sung); René Pape (Ser Matteo del Sarto); Siegfried Lorenz (Abbate Cospicuo); Peter Lika (Dottor Bombasto); Robert Wörle (Leandro); Marcia Bellamy (Colombina, sung) /Katharina Koschny (Colombina, spoken)
Recorded at Jesus-Christus-Kirche, Berkin, Dahlem, 21–25 January 1992; issued 1993.
Reviewed favorably by Michael Stewart in Gramophone, November, 1993, p. 139.. Retrieved 21 June 2009.
Praised in particular Josef Protschka as Kalaf and Robert Wörle, Johann Werner Prein, and Gotthold Schwarz. Preferred Mechthild Gessendorf (in the Nagano recording, see next) to Albrecht's Linda Plech in the role of Turandot.
René Pape (Altoum); Linda Plech (Turandot); Gabriele Schreckenbach (Adelma); Josef Protschka (Kalaf); Friedrich Molsberger (Barak); Celina Lindsley (Queen Mother); Robert Wörle (Truffaldino); Johann Werner Prein (Pantalone); Gotthold Schwarz (Tartaglia)
Ernst Theo Richter (Arlecchino); Suzanne Mentzer (Colombina); Thomas Mohr (Ser Matteo del Sarto); Wolfgang Holzmair (Abbate Cospicuo); Philippe Huttenlocher (Dottor Bombasto); Stefan Dahlberg (Leandro)
Recorded: Opéra National de Lyon, Nov 1997 and Mar 1998
Plays with the Jarnach ending of the final scene, but the Beaumont version is included and can be used to replace the Jarnach version via a playlist or CD programming.
Praises the inclusion of the Beaumont completion of the second half of the final scene, but prefers Jarnach's more melodramatic ending, even though it does not accurately reflect Busoni's intentions. "Dietrich Henschel displays considerable style and stamina during his two extended monologues in the opera's final stages, and although his singing isn't entirely free of straining for effect, or of bluster, the character's tortured humanity is vividly conveyed." "Begley tackles the many demanding aspects of the part [of Mephistopheles] with panache and, in the scintillating ballad, wit and menace are in perfect balance."
"Dietrich Henschel may not be a searching or weighty interpreter, but the clarity and incisiveness of his singing are most impressive, leading to a noble account of the death scene, one of the passages expanded in the Beaumont version. He is well contrasted with the powerful Mephistopheles of Kim Begley, a tenor role that is Wagnerian in its demands."
"This is in every way a thoughtful, conscientious and polished presentation, yet (alas) it feels small and tight." "FAUST and Mephistopheles are mega-roles. Faust ranges from existential turbulence to erotic bravado and terminal repose. Mr. Henschel sounds like a scaled-down version of Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau in the 1970 Deutsche Grammophon recording.... Busoni's Mephistopheles is cunning, edgy, commanding: a character-tenor with heft. Mr. Begley is merely a Loge. William Cochran, in the Leitner recording, applies a Siegmund voice to the part; the results are labored but properly formidable."
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (Poet); Dietrich Henschel (Doktor Faust); Markus Hollop (Wagner); Kim Begley (Mephistopheles); Torsten Kerl (The Duke of Parma); Eva Jenisova (The Duchess of Parma); Markus Hollop (The Master of Ceremonies); Detlef Roth (The girl's brother)
Recording received 3 of 3 stars, high praise for the conducting of Leitner and the portrayal of Faust by Fischer-Dieskau, but there were reservations concerning Hildegard Hillebrecht as the Duchess of Parma and the many cuts in the score.
Review of original LP release by Lionel Salter in Gramophone, September, 1970, p. 463. (Retrieved 27 April 2009.)
Includes a fairly detailed description and analysis of the opera.
Reviewed by Michael Oliver in Gramophone, August, 1989, p. 362 (Retrieved 27 April 2009.)
Reservations about cuts: "12 passages are excised, 700 bars in all, including most of the church scene and its organ prelude, three fine orchestral passages (including the very beautiful transformation music before the vision of Helen of Troy) and the first three sections of the students' serenade."
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (Doktor Faust); William Cochran (Mephistopheles); Anton de Ridder (Duke of Parma); Hildegard Hillebrecht (Duchess of Parma); Karl-Christian Kohn (Wagner, Master of Ceremonies); Franz Grundheber (Soldier, Natural Philosopher); Manfred Schmidt (Lieutenant); Marius Rintzler (Jurist); Hans Sotin (Theologian)
Reviewed by Guy Rickards in Gramophone, March, 2008, p. 90 (Retrieved 27 April 2009.)
Rickards finds that Hampson gets off to a poor start, "but audibly grows into the role" and Gregory Kunde steals the show as Mephistopheles. He strongly criticizes the use of Jarnach's (as opposed to Beaumont's) completion of the final scene as a misrepresentation of Busoni's intentions, and says it "stylistically jars the moment it starts." He also objects to the omission of the Students' serenade to Wagner at the beginning of the final scene. "Wagner's replacement of Faust as Rector is included in the sung text and meaningless without its representation onstage. Musically, the cut section provides vital contrast between the defiance of the second scene's close and the denouement."
Thomas Hampson (Doktor Faust); Gunther Groissböck (Wagner, Master of Ceremonies); Gregory Kunde (Mephistopheles); Reinaldo Macias (Duke of Parma, Soldier); Sandra Tratmigg (Duchess of Parma); Martin Zysset (Lieutenant); Andreas Winkler (1st Student from Cracow) Thilo Dahlmann (2nd Student from Cracow); Matthew Leigh (3rd Student from Cracow); Giuseppe Scorsin (Gravis); Tomasz Slawinski (Levis); Gabriel Bermúdez (Asmodus); Randall Ball (Belzebuth); Miroslav Christoff (Megaros)
Ferruccio Busoni was an Italian composer, pianist, conductor, editor, writer, and teacher. His international career and reputation led him to work closely with many of the leading musicians, artists and literary figures of his time, and he was a sought-after keyboard instructor and a teacher of composition.
The Toccata and Fugue in D minor, BWV 565, is a composition for organ by, according to the oldest sources, German composer Johann Sebastian Bach and is one of the most widely recognisable works in the organ repertoire. Although the date of its origin is unknown, scholars have suggested between 1704 and the 1750s. The piece opens with a toccata section followed by a fugue that ends in a coda, and is largely typical of the north German organ school of the Baroque era.
Toccata is a virtuoso piece of music typically for a keyboard or plucked string instrument featuring fast-moving, lightly fingered or otherwise virtuosic passages or sections, with or without imitative or fugal interludes, generally emphasizing the dexterity of the performer's fingers. Less frequently, the name is applied to works for multiple instruments.
Karl Richter was a German conductor, choirmaster, organist, and harpsichordist.
Grigory Lipmanovich Sokolov is a Russian pianist with Spanish citizenship. He is among the most esteemed of living pianists, his repertoire spanning composers from the Baroque period such as Bach, Couperin or Rameau up to Schoenberg and Arapov. He regularly tours Europe and resides in Italy.
John Andrew Howard Ogdon was an English pianist and composer.
Elena Kuschnerova is a Russian-born classical pianist.
D minor is a minor scale based on D, consisting of the pitches D, E, F, G, A, B♭, and C. Its key signature has one flat. Its relative major is F major and its parallel major is D major.
B minor is a minor scale based on B, consisting of the pitches B, C♯, D, E, F♯, G, and A. Its key signature has two sharps. Its relative major is D major and its parallel major is B major.
Fantasia contrappuntistica(BV 256) is a solo piano piece composed by Ferruccio Busoni in 1910. Busoni created a number of versions of the work, including several for solo piano and one for two pianos. It has been arranged for organ and for orchestra under the composer's supervision.
Grigory Romanovich Ginzburg was a Soviet pianist.
Kevin John Bowyer is an English organist, known for his prolific recording and recital career and his performances of modern and extremely difficult compositions.
Toccata, Adagio, and Fugue in C major is an organ composition by Johann Sebastian Bach. As is the case with most other organ works by Bach, the autograph score does not survive. The earliest manuscript copies were probably made in 1719–1727. The title of the piece in these copies is given, as expected of organ literature of the time, simply as Toccata in C major. The piece is an early work, probably composed in the mid-to-late Weimar years, i.e. 1710–1717. It shares some similarities with other toccatas composed around the same time, such as BWV 538, BWV 540, and others: all show the influence of concerto style and form.
Olli Mustonen is a Finnish pianist, conductor, and composer.
The Klavierübung, by the Italian pianist-composer Ferruccio Busoni, is a compilation of piano exercises and practice pieces, comprising transcriptions of works by other composers and original compositions of his own.
The Bach-Busoni Editions are a series of publications by the Italian pianist-composer Ferruccio Busoni (1866–1924) containing primarily piano transcriptions of keyboard music by Johann Sebastian Bach. They also include performance suggestions, practice exercises, musical analysis, an essay on the art of transcribing Bach's organ music for piano, an analysis of the fugue from Beethoven's 'Hammerklavier' sonata, and other related material. The later editions also include free adaptations and original compositions by Busoni which are based on the music of Bach.
Carlo Grante is an Italian classical pianist. Born in L'Aquila and graduating from the National Academy of St Cecilia in Rome, he performs classical and contemporary classical music. His discography consists of more than 50 albums.
References
The Gramophone Archive, an online searchable database containing every issue of the English magazine Gramophone from April 1923 to the latest issue. Retrieved 6 February 2009.
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