Piano Concerto (Busoni)
The Concerto for Piano and Orchestra in C major with male chorus, Op 39 is a 1904 arisen monumental work by Ferruccio Busoni. It includes five sets with an invisible in the final six -part male choir, in which the composer used verses of the 1805 drama written by Adam Aladin Oehlenschläger.
The pianistic very sophisticated composition is one with a duration between 70 and 80 minutes to the longest piano concerts in music history. The more symphonic scale as a concert work uses his program approach to music and the virtuoso style the influence of Franz Liszt.
About the Music
The first sentence " Prologo e Introito " (Allegro, dolce e solenne ) begins with a song-like, borne by the strings theme that prelude anticipates melodies of the finale, reminiscent of Max Reger, during the secondary theme in the brass seems to be inspired by Mendelssohn. It is a dominant piano part a, the dunning with its massive, over the keyboard extending chords to the pathetic opening of the first piano concerto by Tchaikovsky, in the energy of the striking rhythms but goes its own way and wants to outdo virtuoso at the beginning.
The second set ( Pezzo giocoso ) refers to Franz Liszt, by first alluded to the main theme of Dante Sonata and later a melody from the Venezia e Napoli sound.
The third, slow movement ( Pezzo serioso ) of pathetic and solemn character, is organized under four categories: Introduction ( Andante sostenuto ), Prima Pars (Andante quasi adagio ), Altera pars ( Sommessamente ) and Ultima pars ( a tempo ).
The highly virtuosic fourth movement (Vivace, in un tempo ) is an upbeat, studded with pianistic effects, energetically charged Tarantella, which is intended as a tribute to Italy. In the choral finale ( Largamente ) finally processed Busoni verses from the last act of the drama Aladdin, the invisible choir sings of the " eternal power of the heart " that are to feel close to Allah and praise Him.
Background and reception
Busoni himself was the soloist, the work was premiered on 10 November 1904 at the Beethoven Hall in Berlin with the Berlin Philharmonic under the direction of Karl Muck. The work proves from the plant as a kind of five-movement symphony for large orchestra with s six male choir and piano obligato. Whose part is still extremely difficult and only sovereign pianist accessible. So are shots of John Ogdon, Volker Banfield, Marc- André Hamelin and Viktoriya Valentinovna Postnikowa ago.
Joachim Kaiser judged the work of ambivalent or even negative. He lifts one hand the genius musicality, liveliness and freshness, imagination and freedom gift out, which would have been reflected impressive especially in the first, second and fourth movements, but emphasizes the incredible amount and the exaltation of the composition. In some places it acts like a " parody about the topic Full grip " and thunder with the heaviest "Piano caliber. " The third sentence could not be maintained and the finale is not a real increase, but a weak lyrical ending the tension. It is surprising how Busoni had left in this work the shape will. Would the " novels cross the line, " then clearly " as the foggiest Germanic minds. " For the Emperor, there are neither the excess length, nor the lack of inspiration that jeopardize the concert, but Busoni's inability to submit a recognizable style principle. In particular, the neo-classical or neo-romantic compositions required the self-imposed waiver of harmonic or pianistic bombast, the principle of renunciation, the so fall at about Stravinsky, the most important neo-classicists in the eye and had been central to him.