The Pianism of Ferruccio Busoni: A Critique of Selected Recordings and a Creative Re-Imagining Through New Performances

Abstract

This exegesis investigates the pianism of Italian-German pianist, composer, educator, scholar, and conductor Ferruccio Busoni (1866-1924), and how it can reveal insightful and new pianistic interpretations via a study of a selection of reviews on Busoni's playing, memoirs written by his contemporaries and students, articles on piano playing by Busoni, an analysis of three works played by Busoni and an examination of my own performances of those three pieces. Five composers featured significantly in Busoni's huge repertoire: J. S. Bach, Beethoven, Chopin, Mozart, and Liszt. His playing style and interpretation of works by three of these composers will be analysed through case studies of Chopin's Preludes, Op. 28, Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody No. 13, and Bach-Busoni's Chaconne in D Minor. In each of these case studies, I draw links between Busoni's performances and my execution of the same works, and how his musical aesthetics informed my overarching interpretation of the pieces. Finally, the exegesis proposes future avenues of research, such as a study of the pianism of Busoni's contemporaries, and ways that modern pianists can explore different interpretations in their own recitals.