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Portrait of Ferruccio Busoni

Composer

Ferruccio Busoni

Italian composer, pianist, and conductor (1866–1924)

1866–1924

150 works in the index

Born
1866
Died
1924
Birthplace
Empoli
Citizenship / historical state
Kingdom of Italy
Period (estimated from birth year)
Modern

Biography

Ferruccio Busoni was the only child of a clarinetist father and a pianist mother. He became not only a pianist himself but a conductor and composer. His compositions include a musical setting for a poem by Heinrich Heine, “Du bist wie eine Blume” (“You are like a Flower”) and one for a poem by Lord Byron, “An Babylons Wasserns” (“By the Rivers of Babylon.”) In his 40s Busoni wrote Sketch of a New Esthetic of Music (1907), an important statement of his conviction that a composer is not a lawgiver, that performers must have or take a good deal of interpretive freedom. Musical notation, he wrote, “is primarily an ingenious expedient for catching an inspiration, with the purpose of exploiting it later….It is for the interpreter to resolve the rigidity of the signs [emphasis in original] into the primitive emotion.” Busoni died in Berlin, and is commemorated by a plaque on the spot of his final residence there.

In this catalogue

Common listed instruments
Piano, Piano two hands, Clarinet, percussion, Timpani
Genres represented
Classical
Works with composition dates
73 of 150

These details describe the indexed sheet music, including arrangements.

Catalogue

Works page 3 of 4

Years are composition dates where known. Instruments describe editions in our catalogue and may include arrangements. A dash means the detail is not recorded.

Works and available sheet music details
WorkYear composedCatalogue / opusKey in titleListed instrumentsGenreEditions
Indianisches Tagebuch. Erstes Buch. 1915 (8 August)IMSLP —— Piano two handsClassical 1
Klavierübung 1923–24IMSLP —— —Classical 1
Zwei Lieder. "Ich sah die Thräne". "An Babylons Wassern". Aus den hebräischen Melodien von Lord Byron für eine Singstimme mit Klavierbegleitung. Op.15. 1883IMSLP Op.15— VoiceClassical 1
Nuit de Noël 1908IMSLP —— PianoClassical 1
Sonatina seconda 1912IMSLP —— PianoClassical 1
Prélude et étude en arpèges 1923IMSLP —— —Classical 1
24 Preludes, Op.37 1879IMSLP Op.37— PianoClassical 1
Primavera, estate, autunno, inverno. 4 Poesie liriche. Poste in Musica per Assoli e Coro d 1882IMSLP —— —Classical 1
Stücke for piano, Op.33b, BV 241 1895IMSLP Op.33b— —Classical 1
Sarabande und Cortège. Zwei Studien zu "Dr. Faust", Op.51 1918–19IMSLP Op.51— —Classical 1
Transcriptions of 10 Chorale Preludes for Organ by J.S. Bach, BV B 27 1898IMSLP —— —Classical 1
Joh. Seb. Bach: Capriccio on the Departure of His Beloved Brother (BWV 992), Concert transcription by Ferruccio Busoni. 1704?IMSLP BWV 992— Piano two handsClassical 1
Transcriptions - Bach: Fantasy, Fugue, Andante and Scherzo (BWV 905, 969, 844), BV B 42 1917IMSLP BWV 905— Piano two handsClassical 1
Transcription of Prelude and Fugue in D major for Organ, BWV 532, by J.S. Bach, BV B 20 1708-12 ca.IMSLP BWV 532D major Piano two handsClassical 1
Transcriptions - Bach: Sarabande con partite (BWV 990), BV B 43 — BWV 990— Piano two handsClassical 1
Grandes Etudes de Paganini, S.141, transcribed for study and concert performance 1851IMSLP S.141— PianoClassical 1
Transcription of Liszt's Fantasy and Fugue on 'Ad nos, ad salutarum undam' for Organ (S.259), BV B 59 1850IMSLP S.259— Piano two handsClassical 1
Franz Liszt's Fantasy on 2 Motives from "Le Nozze di Figaro" by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart 1842IMSLP —— Piano two handsClassical 1
Transcriptions - Mozart: Fantasy for a Mechanical Clock (K.608) for Two Pianos, BV B 91 — K.608— —Classical 1
Transcriptions - Mozart: Serenade from Don Giovanni 1917–22IMSLP —— Piano two handsClassical 1
Variations on a Prelude by Chopin, BV 213 1884IMSLP —— Piano two handsClassical 1
Four Studies on Motives by Native Americans — —— PianoClassical 1
Busoni: Novelette K 116 — —— Piano, ClarinetClassical 2
Fantasia in modo antico h-Moll op. 33b; 4 -6 Klavierstucke - Nr. 4- — op. 33b— PianoClassical 1
1. Vorspiel — —— Timpani, percussionClassical 1
2. Kriegstanz — —— Timpani, percussionClassical 1
2. Cavaliere — —— PianoClassical 1
4. Guerriero — —— PianoClassical 1
1. Schwermuth — —— PianoClassical 1
1. Fantasie und Fuge, a-moll — —— PianoClassical 2
Friedenstanz — —— PianoClassical 1
Finnish Folk Songs Op.27 - Piano 1 — Op.27— —Classical 1
Finnish Folk Songs Op.27 - Piano 2 — Op.27— —Classical 1
5 variations over "Kommt ein Vogel geflogen" - Piano — —— —Classical 1
Finnish Folk Songs Op.27 - Preface — Op.27— —Classical 1
5 variations over "Kommt ein Vogel geflogen" - Preface — —— —Classical 1
Busoni: Concertino — —— —Classical 1
Berceuse élégiaque 1909 (June)IMSLP —— —Classical 1
Berceuse élégiaque for Orchestra, Op.42, BV 252a — Op.42— —— —
Kammerfantasie ?ber Carmen — —— PianoClassical —
Schwermut fis-Moll op. 33b; 1 -6 Klavierstucke - Nr. 1- — op. 33b— PianoClassical —
Schlu — —— PianoClassical —
Frohsinn F-Dur op. 33b; 2 -6 Klavierstucke - Nr. 2- — op. 33b— PianoClassical —
Finnische Ballade c-Moll op. 33b; 5 -6 Klavierstucke - Nr. 5- — op. 33b— PianoClassical —
3. Grabdenkmal — —— Timpani, percussionClassical —
4. Ansturm — —— Timpani, percussionClassical —
3. Paggio — —— PianoClassical —
5. Astrologo — —— PianoClassical —

Biographical record: Wikidata, matched on name and checked against dates held in the catalogue. The period label is an estimate from birth year. Authority record: VIAF 44484509. Portrait: Varischi & Artico, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.