Presents
Ferruccio Busoni
Concerto for Piano & String Quartet in d minor, Op.17
Ferruccio Busoni (1866-1924) is remembered as a great pianist and was among the first rank of virtuosi during his lifetime, but what generally is no longer remembered is that he was an important composer. Born in Tuscany, Busoni’s parents were both musicians. Busoni’s musical talent showed itself early and by the age of 8 he was performing before the public. Between the ages of 9 and 11, he studied at the Vienna Conservatory with Julius Epstein, Franz Krenn and Anton Door. Then in Graz with Wilhelm Mayer. Eventually he studied composition at the Leipzig Conservatory with Carl Reinecke. Besides an important career as a soloist he also taught at the Helsinki Conservatory as well as the New England Conservatory in Boston and the Berlin Academy of the Arts.
Busoni composed his Concerto for Piano and String in d minor in 1878 at the age or 12, while he was studying with Wilhelm Mayer. The original title was Concerto per Piano-forte con accompagnamento di quartetto ad arco. Although conceived for string quartet, it is sometimes played with a string chamber orchestra. It is in four movements. The opening Allegro uses Mozart as a model. The second movement, Adagio, considering it was written by a 12 year old, shows considerable seriousness and delicacy. The Scherzo which follows has Schubert as its antecedent. The work concludes with a boisterous and triumphant Allegro vivace.
Parts: $39.95
