Busoni as Pianist

Ferruccio Busoni is most widely known today as the composer of such works as the Second Violin Sonata, the incidental music for Gozzi?s Turandot, and the most monumental piano concerto in the repertory (some 80 minutes long, with male chorus in the finale). But Busoni was also renowned in his day as an author and pedagogue and, most especially, as a pianist. Busoni?s recordings of pieces by Chopin and Liszt- and of his own arrangements of keyboard works by Bach and Beethoven- are much prized and studied today by connoisseurs of piano playing. Yet even his most important biographers have cast only a cursory glance at the pianistic aspect of Busoni?s fascinating career.
Grigory Kogan?s book Busoni as Pianist (published in Russian in 1964, and here translated for the first time) was and remains the first and only study to concentrate exclusively on Busoni?s contributions to the world of the piano. Busoni as Pianist summarizes reviews of Busoni?s playing and Busoni?s own writings on the subject. It also closely analyzes the surviving piano rolls and recordings, and examines Busoni?s editions, arrangements, and pedagogical output. As such, it will be of interest to pianists, teachers and students of the piano, historians, and all who love piano music and the art of piano playing.

CONTENIDO:

Foreword by Nina Svetlanova
Preface
- Grigory Kogan: His life and times
Acknowledgments
Introduction
1. Busoni's childhood and youth, 1866-88
2. Finland and Moscow, 1889-94
3. Berlin: Busoni's emergence as a great pianist
4. Busoni's technique: Piano orchestration, tone production
5. Busoni's repertoire: An anti-Romantic approach
6. Busoni's interpretation of Beethoven, Liszt, and Chopin
7. Busoni's interpretations. Textural liberties
8. Busoni's interpretations of Bach. Articulation
9. Rhythm and dynamics
10. Busoni's recording of the Liszt's Rigoletto Paraphrase
11. Technical phrasing
12. Technical variants
13. Fingering, pedal
14. Compositions, transcriptions, editions, teaching, writings
15. Busoni's esthetics
16. Busoni's esthetics, continued
17. World War I. Operas
18. Busoni's final years, 1918-24
Conclusion
Notes
Bibliography
Translator's biography
Index