Ferruccio Busoni discography (as pianist)

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This article lists acoustic recordings made for Columbia by Ferruccio Busoni. The published recordings were issued on 78-rpm records. It is believed that the original matrices were destroyed in a fire at the Columbia factory in England in the 1920s. [1] Copies of the original 78s still exist, and the recordings have been transferred to LP and CD. Some of the digital copies have been computer enhanced.

Contents

List of acoustic recordings

Table 1. Recordings from 18–19 November 1919 at Columbia Studios, London. [2]
The recordings from these earlier sessions were deemed unsatisfactory, [3] were not issued, and are probably lost.

ComposerWork    Matrix/Take    
Bach Prelude and Fugue No.1 in C Major, BWV 846 (Well-Tempered Clavier, Book I) 76699-1, -2
Mozart Andantino from Piano Concerto No.9 in E-flat major, KV 271 (BV B 84, excerpt) 76700-1, -2
Gounod-Liszt Waltz from the opera Faust, S.407  76701-1, -2
Bach Organ Chorale Prelude "Rejoice, Beloved Christians" BWV 734 (BV B 27) 76702-1, -2
Beethoven Ecossaises (not identified further; probably BV B 47) 76702-1, -2
Chopin Nocturne in F-sharp major, Op.15, No.2  76703-1, -2
Liszt Hungarian Rhapsody No.13 in A minor S.244, Part 1 (abbreviated) 76704-1, -2
Liszt Hungarian Rhapsody No.13 in A minor S.244, Part 2 (abbreviated) 76705-1, -2
Liszt Années de Pèlerinage; Deuxième Année - Italie, S.161  No.6: Sonetto 123 del Petrarca 76706-1, -2
Liszt Valse oubliée [No.1?, S.215 ] 76707-1, -2
Liszt Etudes d'Exécution Transcendente d'après Paganini, S.140 No.5, "La Chasse" 76708-1, -2
Chopin Etude in E minor, Op.25 No.5  76709-1, -2
Weber Piano Sonata No.1 in C major, Op.24: Finale, Presto (Rondo, Perpetuum mobile) 76710-1, -2, -3

Table 2. Recordings from 27 February 1922 at Columbia Studios, London. [4]

ComposerWork  Issue [5]  Matrix/Take
Bach Prelude and Fugue No.1 in C Major, BWV 846 (Well-Tempered Clavier, Book I) 
 L 1445		 76699-3
 76699-4
Bach Organ Chorale Prelude "Rejoice, Beloved Christians" BWV 734 (BV B 27) L 1470 76702-3
Beethoven Ecossaises, WoO 83 (BV B 47) L 1470 76702-3
Chopin Nocturne in F-sharp major, Op.15, No.2  L 1432
 		 76703-3
 76703-4
Liszt Hungarian Rhapsody No.13 in A minor S.244, Part 1 (abbreviated) 
 L 1456		 76704-3
 76704-4
Liszt Hungarian Rhapsody No.13 in A minor S.244, Part 2 (abbreviated) L 1456
 		 76705-3
 76705-4
Liszt Années de Pèlerinage; Deuxième Année - Italie, S.161  No.6: Sonetto 123 del Petrarca 76706-3 [6]
 76706-4 [6]
Chopin Etude in E minor, Op.25 No.5  
 L 1445		 76709-3
 76709-4
Weber Piano Sonata No.1 in C major, Op.24: Finale, Presto (Rondo, Perpetuum mobile) 76709-4 [7]
 76709-5
Beethoven Ecossaises (not identified further; probably BV B 47) 75058-1 [8]
Bach Prelude to Chorale (not identified further; probably BV B 27) 75058-1 [8]
Chopin Etude in G-flat major, Op.10 No.5  L 1432
 		 75059-1
 75059-2
Chopin Prelude in A major, Op.28 No.7; Etude in G-flat major, Op.10 No.5 [9]  
 L 1470		 75060-1
 75060-2

Selected CD reissue

Arbiter 134 (CD; 72 min; ADD using "sonic depth technology"; issued 2002).
• Ferruccio Busoni (1866-1924): the complete 1922 recordings (L 1445, L 1470, L 1432, L 1456)
• Rosamond Ley (1882-1969):
• Liszt: Jeux d'eau a la Villa d'Este (rec. 1942)
• Liszt: Sonata après une lecture du Dante (rec. 1942)
• Egon Petri (1881-1962):
• Liszt: Totentanz (incomplete; first 78 missing; rec. 1936)
• Busoni: Piano Concerto, Movement 4 (recorded from a live broadcast 2 June 1932 with Hans Rosbaud, conductor)

Notes

  1. ↑ Sitsky, p. 332.
  2. ↑ The information in Table 1 is taken from Roberge, pp. 127-139, and Dyment.
  3. ↑ See Busoni's Letters to His Wife: 1, 19 February 1922 Archived 20 November 2008 at the Wayback Machine (reproduced at The Reproducing Piano Roll Foundation Archived 2007-07-15 at the Wayback Machine web site). Accessed 7 July 2009.
  4. ↑ The information in Table 2 is taken from Sitsky, pp. 331-333; Roberge, pp. 127-139; and Dyment.
  5. ↑ Each issue is a double-sided 78 rpm record.
  6. 1 2 This take was rejected because of "rough surfaces"; probably lost.
  7. ↑ Take 4 was deemed acceptable but for some reason was not published; probably lost.
  8. 1 2 This take was rejected because of "extraneous noises"; probably lost.
  9. ↑ There is an "improvised bridge passage" between the Prelude and the Etude (Sitsky, p. 332).

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References

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