Ferruccio Busoni

Italian composer, conductor, editor, pianist, teacher and writer Ferruccio Busoni was born  in Empoli in Tuscani on 1 April 1866 to professional musician parents. Initially taught by his father, he then studied in Vienna and with Wilhelm Mayer and Carl Reinecke.

Busoni devoted his life to composing, teaching, touring as a concert pianist and writing about music.

His compositions included a piano concerto, chamber and vocal music, orchestral works and operas. He also made many transcriptions of other composers' work.

Busoni died in Berlin, where he lived for much of his life, on 27 July 1924, aged fifty-eight.

 

A selection of articles about Ferruccio Busoni

Spotlight. Neither Romantic nor Modern - Gerald Fenech recommends Francesca Dego's new recording of violin concertos by Brahms and Busoni. '... splendidly recorded and annotated ...'

Spotlight. A Wonderful Tribute - Endre Anaru praises Francesco Cera for his performance of The Well-Tempered Clavier: Part 2, Book 2. '... Cera has ascended two vast Himalayan peaks and is to be congratulated for this achievement.'

Spotlight. A Romantic Piano Master - Esdras Mugatik listens to Shura Cherkassky. '... a magical capacity to differentiate levels of sound ...'

Classical music news - The Compleat Busoni and other delights - A book launch, first performance and signing will take place this month in Canberra, Australia

CD Spotlight. Awesome Power - Orchestral music from Finland, strongly recommended by Gerald Fenech. '... energetic performances that consistently engage the listener ...'

Profile. Allan Rae: Three Symphonies - A detailed look at some astounding music by one of Canada's great composers

Music as a Form of Magic - Larry Sitsky: Late Piano Pieces - Second Series 2022-2023

Echoes of Oblivion by Robert McCarney - Per Giuseppe

Profile. Ronald Stevenson - A little memory, a little overview and a little comment

Ensemble. 'Doktor Faust' returns to Florence - Giuseppe Pennisi reports on Ferruccio Busoni's opera

CD Spotlight. A Pianist who Deserves Attention - Geoff Pearce enjoys listening to Can Çakmur. '... a stellar performance by this fine young pianist.'

Ensemble. A Masterly Balance - Mike Wheeler listens to J S Bach, Liszt and Schubert from Emmanuel Despax

CD Spotlight. The Charm of 'La Nuova Commedia Dell'arte' - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to Busoni's 'Turandot' and 'Arlecchino'. '... this is a book and two CDs to enjoy and to make an elegant gift.'

CD Spotlight. Arrangements for Chamber Orchestra - Gerald Fenech listens to scaled-down Busoni, Debussy and Mahler. 'All four works retain a certain freshness in their new garb, and despite the sound world created being slightly less opulent than their orchestral originals, they still acquire a more fully-fleshed structure than some keyboard reductions.'

CD Spotlight. Deep Emotions - Keyboard music by J S Bach impresses Anett Fodor. 'Simone Leitão plays with a sharply honed, flawless technique and her sense of style is highly refined.'

Ensemble. Bold and Daring - Contrasting Busoni and Puccini in Cagliari, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

CD Spotlight. Fantastic Stuff - Busoni piano music, recommended by Gerald Fenech. '... gripping music making ...'

Ensemble. Challenging, Versatile and Unexpected - Roderic Dunnett visits Hungarian State Opera

CD Spotlight. Clear Rewards - Tien Hsieh plays Bach and Beethoven, and impresses Howard Smith. '... a distinctive robust architecture ...'

Astounding Contributions - Larry Sitsky at Eighty, by Endre Anaru

CD Spotlight. True Command - James Brawn plays Bach, Liszt, Musorgsky and Rachmaninov, recommended by Andrew Schartmann. 'The "Promenade" ... is like butter in Brawn's hands.'

A Worthy Cause - Diederick Potgieter plays Busoni/Bach, Beethoven and Liszt, heard by Malcolm Miller

Emotional Impressions - Bill Newman listens to Neapolitan pianist Clelia Cafiero

CD Spotlight. Compelling and Pleasurable - Arthur Friedheim plays Liszt, Chopin, Gottschalk and Henselt, heard by Patric Standford. '... a slightly improvisatory interpretation ...'

CD Spotlight. Unaffected Restraint - Halida Dinova plays music that tells stories, heard by Howard Smith. '... a mesmerising interpreter ...'

CD Spotlight. Striking Power - Leslie Howard plays Rachmaninov, heard by Howard Smith. '... a staggering technique.'

CD Spotlight. Outside the Box - A recital by Gunnar Johansen, heard by Howard Smith. '... a floodtide of seismic power and romantic fervor ...'

Drama and Poetry - Mary Isaac listens to Russian pianist Olga Stezhko

Vigour and Energy - Benjamin Frith saves the day, heard by Mike Wheeler

An Eloquent Devotee - Ronald Stevenson's writings on Grainger, read by Robert Anderson

A Golden Treasury - Havergal Brian on European and American music, read by Patric Standford

CD Spotlight. Almost a Transformation - David Rubinstein plays Busoni, heard by K C Devereaux. '... Rubenstein's hand is steady on the tiller.'

CD Spotlight. A Spectral Atmosphere - Murray McLachlan plays music by Shostakovich and friends, recommended by Howard Smith. '... an outright triumph for the label and for McLachlan.'

CD Spotlight. Utterly Absorbing - A sampler from Cedille Records, enjoyed by Howard Smith. '... top quality standards.'

Outstanding and unforgettable - Lilya Zilberstein's recital at London's Wigmore Hall impresses Bill Newman

Marvelously Gifted - Bill Newman listens to pianist Alexander Romanovsky

CD Spotlight. Creative Fire - Larry Sitsky's 'The Way of the Seeker', heard by Gordon Rumson. '... an outstanding artistic achievement ...'

The Composer's Conundrum? - Alistair Hinton comments on Gordon Rumson's recent article

The Composer's Conundrum - Gordon Rumson has some bad news about creativity and self-promotion

Committed and Tough - Malcolm Troup plays Bloch's Piano Sonata, appreciated by Julian Jacobson

Elgar and Englishness - Alistair Hinton takes issue with Patric Standford's recent 'Provocative Thoughts'

Ensemble. Dramatic Veracity - Puccini's 'Turandot' from St Louis, reviewed by Maria Nockin

CD Spotlight. Also Sprach Richard Strauss - 'An Alpine Symphony', enjoyed by George Balcombe. '... beguiling music.'

Appropriate Temperament - Gordon Rumson replies to Patric Standford's article on keys and the decline of tonality

CD Spotlight. Widely Divergent Composers - Music for violin and piano, reviewed by George Balcombe. '... clear and consistent ...'

Record box. Crisp performance - Michel Dalberto plays Mozart Piano Concertos, reviewed by Patric Standford

A singular event - Sergei Podobedov plays Bach/Busoni, Liadov, Boris Goltz and Chopin, reviewed by David Braid

Transcending virtuosity - Alistair Hinton comments on points made in Gordon Rumson's recent Chopin review

The specious origins of originality - Alistair Hinton comments on Patric Standford's recent 'Provocative Thoughts'

Emotions and music - Some thoughts from composer Alistair Hinton

Reality or invention? - Peter Dale reads from a Liverpool University symposium on the musical work

Profile - Magic and mystery. A half world away and a century later, the influence of Busoni is firmly planted in Australia: The music of Larry Sitsky, by Gordon Rumson

A countertenor virtuoso - Glyndebourne's latest new star talks to Roderic Dunnett

Planning your collection - Busoni, Glazunov, Barber and Hanson