Ferruccio Busoni
Late Romantic · 1866–1924
Ferruccio Busoni was born near Florence in 1866, toured Europe as a child piano prodigy, and eventually settled in Berlin, where he became one of the era's commanding pianists and a magnet for young composers. Audiences knew him above all for his Bach: his piano arrangements of Bach's organ works are still played and still carry his name in the title.
As a composer he thought big and looked forward. His book on the aesthetics of music imagined scales and instruments that did not yet exist, and his Piano Concerto runs over an hour and ends, unusually, with a men's chorus. His opera Doktor Faust, his life's summing-up, was left unfinished when he died in 1924 and completed by a student.
Start with the Berceuse élégiaque, a short, dreamlike piece written in memory of his mother, then attempt the huge Piano Concerto in C major when you have an evening to spare.
105 works in the catalog, across 5 genres. Log what you listen to with Opus, the classical music journal for iPhone.
Chamber
- 4 Bagatelles for Violin and Piano, op. 28, KiV 229
- Albumblatt, for flute and piano, KiV 272
- Andante con moto, for clarinet and piano
- Andantino, for clarinet and piano, op. 41
- Cello Sonata in G minor, op. 34, KiV 196
- Concerto in D minor, for piano and string quartet, op. 17, KiV 80
- Duo for 2 Flutes and Piano, op. 43
- Elegie, for clarinet and piano
- Elegy in E flat major, for clarinet and piano, KiV 286
- Kleine Suite, for cello and piano, op. 23, KiV 215
- Kultaselle, 10 Variations for Cello and Piano on a Finnish Folksong, KiV 237
- Märchen, for cello and piano, KiV 123
- Novellette, for clarinet and piano
- Preludio, for clarinet and piano
- Serenade for Clarinet and Piano no. 2, op. 19
- Serenade no. 2 in C major, for clarinet and piano, op. 42
- Serenata for Cello and Piano, op. 34
- Solo dramatique, for clarinet and piano, op. 13, KiV 101
- String Quartet no. 1 in C major, op. 19
- String Quartet no. 2 in D minor, op. 26
- Stuck, for clarinet and piano
- Suite, for clarinet and piano, op. 10, KiV 88
- Variations on a 13th Century Minnesinger Song, op. 22
- Violin Sonata in C
- Violin Sonata no. 1 in E minor, op. 29, KiV 234
- Violin Sonata no. 2 in E minor, op. 36a, KiV 244
Keyboard
- Fantasia contrappuntistica no. 1, KiV 256
- 2 Cadenzas for Mozart's Piano Concerto no. 20 in D minor, KiV B7
- 2 Dance Pieces, op. 30a, KiV 235a
- 3 Albumblätter, KiV 289
- 3 Ballet Scenes, op. 20, KiV 209
- 3 Ballet Scenes as Concert Waltzes, op. 33a, KiV 238
- 3 Morceaux, op. 4-6, KiV 197
- 5 Pieces, op. 3
- 6 Etudes, op. 16, KiV 203
- 6 Stücke, op. 33b, KiV 241
- 24 Preludes, op. 37, KiV 181
- An die Jugend, KiV 254
- Canto e Valse, KiV deest
- Das calvarium, for piano
- Elegien, K.249
- Etude en forme de variations, op. 17, KiV 206
- Fantasia contrappuntistica no. 4, KiV 256d
- Fantasie uber Motive aus Der Barbier von Bagdad von Peter Cornelius
- Finnlandische Volksweisen, op. 27
- First Ballet Scene, op. 6
- Floh-Sprung, for piano
- Indian Diary: First Book, KiV 267, "Four Studies on Motives by American Indians"
- Inno-Variato, Variations for Piano in F major, op. 12, KiV 16
- Klavier-Übung, KiV deest
- Klavierubung in 10 Books
- Kurze Stück zur Pflege des polyphonen Spiels, KiV 296
- La canzone del cacciatore in C
- Macchiette medioevali, op. 33
- Marcia funebre in C minor
- Nuit de Noël, KiV 251
- Perpetuum Mobile, for piano, op. 54, KiV 293
- Prelude and Fugue in C minor, op. 21, KiV 85
- Prélude et Etude en Arpèges, KiV 297
- Sonata in F minor, op. 20a, KiV 204
- Sonatina no. 1, KiV 257
- Sonatina no. 2, KiV 259
- Sonatina no. 3, KiV 268, "ad usum infantis"
- Sonatina no. 4, KiV 274, "in diem Nativitatis Christi MCMXVII"
- Sonatina no. 5, KiV 280
- Sonatina super Carmen no. 6, KiV 284
- Tanzwalzer, op. 53
- Theme with Variations in C major, KiV 6
- Toccata: Preludio, Fantasia, Ciaccona, KiV 287
- Toccata and Fugue in D minor, BWV.565
- Trascrizione di concerto sopra motivi dell'opera Merlin
- Una festa di villaggio, op. 9
Orchestral
- Berceuse élégiaque, op. 42, KiV 252
- Piano Concerto in C major, op. 39, KiV247
- Violin Concerto in D major, op. 35a
- Concertino for Clarinet and Small Orchestra, op. 48, KiV276
- Die Brautwahl, op. 45, KiV 261
- Divertimento for Flute and Orchestra in B flat major, op. 52, KiV285
- Gesang vom Reigen der Geister, op. 47, KiV 269, "Indian Diary Book 2"
- Indian Fantasy, for piano and orchestra, op. 44, KiV264
- Konzertstück, for piano and orchestra, op. 31a, KiV236
- Lustspielouvertüre, op. 38, KiV 245, "Comedy Overture"
- Nocturne Symphonique, op. 43, KiV 262
- Rondo arlecchinesco, op. 46
- Sarabande and Cortège, op. 51, KiV 282
- Symphonische Suite, op. 25
- Tanzwalzer, op. 53, KiV 288
- Turandot Suite, op. 41, KiV 248
- Zweites Orchestersuite, op. 34a, KiV 242, "Geharnische Suite"
Stage
- Doktor Faust Opera
- Arlecchino, KiV270, op. 50
- Turandot, BV273 Opera
Vocal
- 2 Songs for Baritone and Small Orchestra, op. 49, KiV 277-8
- Album vocale, op. 30, KiV 114
- Des Sängers Fluch, op. 39, KiV 98
- Lied des Brander, KiV 299
- Lied des Mephistopheles, KiV 278a
- Lied des Unmuts, KiV 281
- Reminiscenza Rossiniana, KiV deest
- Schlechter Trost, KiV 298a
- Zigeunerlied, op. 55, no. 2, KiV 295a
- Zwei altdeutsche Lieder, op. 18, KiV 207
- Zwei Lieder, op. 15, KiV 202
- Zwei Lieder, op. 24, KiV 216
- Zwei Lieder, op. 31, KiV 167
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