This article presents a complete catalog of original compositions by Ferruccio Busoni, including a large number of early works, most of which remain unpublished. The earliest preserved pieces were written when he was barely seven years old. Over 200 of the total of 303 original compositions were produced before the age of twenty.
Busoni's opus numbers are confusing. Initially he numbered each work as he wrote it. Upon reaching Op. 40 he began assigning opus numbers of unpublished youthful works to new compositions. Later he started again from Op. 30, adding an "a" to Op. 30 to 36. From Op. 41 the numbering is fairly regular although it bears little relationship to the actual date of composition, and many compositions were published without opus number.[1] Among unpublished compositions, some have two opus numbers.[2] Because of their confusing nature Roberge recommended against using them and eliminated them from his List of Works.[3] However, since opus numbers are written on manuscripts, included on published scores, used for identification of compositions by many recordings, and included in the standard reference works by Dent (1933), Kindermann (1980), Beaumont (1985), and Sitsky (2008), they are given here as an aid in identification. The user should be aware, however, that a particular opus number may refer to more than one item and says very little about the date of composition or publication.
Catalog numbers
The letters BV (Busoni-Verzeichnis [Busoni Catalog]) followed by a number are used for identification of Busoni's original compositions.[4][5][6] The BV numbers are based on the first comprehensive catalog of Busoni's unpublished as well as published works prepared by Jürgen Kindermann. The letters KiV are also sometimes used,[7] as well as the abbreviations Kind-[8] and K.[9] Although Kindermann himself did not specify any letters to be used for referring to his catalog, he has agreed to the use of the abbreviation BV.[10] The catalog is not strictly chronological, since it frequently incorporates published works by the date of publication rather than the date of composition.[11] When the catalog number is preceded by the letters BV B, for example, Ten Chorale Preludes by Bach, BV B 27, it refers to a cadenza, transcription, or adaptation (see List of adaptations by Ferruccio Busoni).
Catalog of original compositions
Note: This list is not yet complete. The "Details" column needs additional work.
BV catalog numbers are from Roberge.[4] Titles and opus numbers are listed as in Beaumont,[2] except as noted. Titles are in the original language, except for instrumentation and generic terms, such as "string quartet." For example, Beaumont partially translates "Berceuse pour le piano," to "Berceuse, for piano." Additional title information provided by Roberge, for example, a key signature not found in the original title, is sometimes added in parentheses. For works with text, the first line is typically given, followed by the name of the poet in parentheses. Translations, when provided, are in brackets. Dates of composition and durations are from Beaumont, unless otherwise indicated. Dedications are from Roberge.[4]
Busoni Archive: Most of Busoni's unpublished early manuscripts, as well as those of later works, have been preserved in the Busoni-Nachlaß [Busoni-Archive]. The collection consists of 366 cataloged items, many of which were lost during the Second World War, and after the war were divided between Stiftung Preußischer Kulturbesitz, Musikabteilung, in West Berlin and the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek, Musikabteilung, in East Berlin. Kindermann lists the locations and manuscript numbers of each work, for those manuscripts which were available until the year he published his catalog (1980). Some of the lost items reappeared later; most are now at the Jagiellonian University in Cracow.[12] After the fall of the Berlin wall, the two libraries were reunited as the Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin. Sitsky (pp. 363–383) has an appendix listing manuscripts (with numbers, locations, titles and/or a short description), including those lost, which may yet reappear, as well as those not part of the Busoni-Archive, which are either not numbered or are numbered with a different system. The Busoni-Archive manuscript numbers provided by Sitsky are prefixed with the letters "SB", a procedure which has been adopted here as well.
Abbreviations: acc., according to; arr., arrangement; SB, Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin; B&H, Breitkopf & Härtel, Leipzig (unless otherwise indicated); cat., catalog; ded., dedicated to; dur., duration; frag, fragment; fp, first performance; (score), link to score at the International Music Score Library Project; instr., instrumentation; MS, manuscript; pub., published; rev., revised; unpub., unpublished.
L'Invalido [The Invalid] Op. 31, "Ho quarant'anni per la patria" (Michele Buono) ["I have been forty years in the native land"], Ballata [Ballad], for tenor and piano
Lied der Klage [Song of Lamentation] Op. 38, "Die Luft ist trübe, der Wind weht kalt" (Otto von Kapf), ["The air is gray, the wind blows cold"] for alto voice and piano
Des Sängers Fluch, "Es stand in alten Zeiten ein Schloß so hoch und hehr" (Ludwig Uhland) [The Singer's Curse, "There stood in ancient times, a castle so high and noble"] Op. 39, for alto voice and piano
Nov 1878
pub. August Cranz, Hamburg, 1879?; ded. Doktor Albin von Vogel
BV 98a
Des Sängers Fluch, "Es stand in alten Zeiten ein Schloß so hoch und hehr" (Ludwig Uhland) [The Singer's Curse, "There stood in ancient times, a castle so high and noble"] Op. 39, for alto voice and orchestra
Sternenlied, "Es glänzt am Himmel Stern an Stern" (Oskar von Redwitz) [Star song, "It glitters in the heavens star upon star"] Op. 49 (Op. 23), for alto voice and piano
Tragische Geschichte, "Es war einer, dem's zu Herzen ging" (Adelbert von Chamisso) [Tragic Stories, "There was one, who took it to heart"] Op. 56 (Op. 30), for low voice and piano
Tragische Geschichte, "Es war einer, dem's zu Herzen ging" (Adelbert von Chamisso) [Tragic Stories, "There was one, who took it to heart"] Op. 56 (Op. 30), for TTBB (male chorus)
"Lieb Liebchen, leg's Händchen aufs Herze mein" (Heinrich Heine) ["Dear little dear one, lay your little hand upon my heart"] Op. 57 (Op. 31), for soprano and piano
"Es fiel ein Reif in der Frühlingsnacht" (traditional Rheinland) ["Hoarfrost formed in the spring night"] Op. 59 (Op. 33), (song) for mezzo-soprano and piano
Zwei Lieder Op. 15, for voice and piano[59] (score) (Aus den hebräischen Melodien von Lord Byron) No. 1 "Ich sah die Thräne" [I saw the tears] No. 2 "An Babylons Wassern" [By Babylon's Waters]
Indianisches Tagebuch. Erstes Buch. [Indian Diary. First Book], for piano (score)[93]
June – 8 Aug 1915
pub.
BV 268
Sonatina (no. 3) "ad usum infantis," for piano (score)
Jul 1915
pub.
BV 269
Gesang vom Reigen der Geister [Song of Dancing of the Spirits]. Indianisches Tagebuch. Zweites Buch. [Indian Diary. Second Book] Op. 47, for small orchestra
Improvisation über das Bachsche Chorallied "Wie wohl ist mir, o Freund der Seele" [Improvisation on the Bach chorale "How good I feel, O friend of the soul"], for 2 pianos (score)
- 26 June Aug 1916
pub.
BV 272
Albumblatt [Albumleaf] (in E minor), for flute (or muted violin) and piano
1916
SB; pub. B&H, 1917; ded. Albert Biolley;[94] arr. for piano, see BV272a,
BV 272a
Albumblatt [Albumleaf] (in E minor), for piano
1917
pub. B&H, 1918;[95] ded. Albert Biolley;[94] arr. from BV 272
BV 273
Turandot (opera). Eine chinesische Fabel nach Gozzi in zwei Akten. [A Chinese fable after Gozzi in two acts.]
Altoums Gebet. "Konfutse, dir hab' ich geschworen" (Ferruccio Busoni) [Altoum's Prayer. "Confucius, to you have I sworn."] Op. 49 no. 1, for baritone and small orchestra
Lied des Mephistopheles. "Es war einmal ein König" (Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, from Faust) [Mephistopheles' Song. "Once upon a time there was a king"] (from Goethe's drama Faust), Op. 49 no. 2, for baritone and small orchestra
30 March 1918
SB; pub. B&H, 1919; ded. Augustus Milner; arr. from BV278a
BV 278a
Lied des Mephistopheles. "Es war einmal ein König" (Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, from Faust) [Mephistopheles' Song. "Once upon a time there was a king"] (from Goethe's drama Faust), Op. 49 no. 2, for baritone and piano
Mar 1918 or later?
SB; pub. B&H, 1919; ded. Augustus Milner; arr. baritone and small orchestra, see BV 278
BV 279
Notturni [Nocturnes] (in A minor). Prologo, for piano
Die Bekehrte, "Bei dem Glanze der Abendröte" (Johann Wolfgang von Goethe) [The Convert, "By the radiance of the afterglow"], (song) for female voice and piano
Die Spröde, "An dem reinsten Frühlingsmorgen" (Johann Wolfgang von Goethe) [The Prude, "On the clearest spring morning"], (song) for female voice and piano
pub. B&H, 1937 (BV 236 followed by BV 290); fp[110]
BV 293
Perpetuum mobile, 'nach des Concertino II. Satz Op. 54' (Perpetuum mobile, after the second movement of the Concertino Op. 54), for piano (score)
Feb 1922
pub. B&H, 1922, EB 5231, plate number 28765; dur. 3 min; ded. Cella Delavrancea
BV 294
Grausige Geschichte vom Münzjuden Lippold. Aus der Oper Die Brautwahl [Gruesome Tale of Lippold, the Jew-coiner. From the opera The Bridal Choice], for voice (baritone) and orchestra[111]
16 February - Mar 1923
SB; unpub.; dur. 6 min; instr;[112] arr. baritone and piano, see BV 294a
BV 294a
Grausige Geschichte vom Münzjuden Lippold. Aus der Oper Die Brautwahl [Gruesome Tale of Lippold, the Jew-coiner. From the opera The Bridal Choice], for voice (baritone) and piano[111]
Zigeunerlied [Gypsy Song] Op. 55 no. 2, "Im Nebelgeriesel, im tiefen Schnee" (Johann Wolfgang von Goethe) [In the misty drizzle, in the deep snow], for baritone and orchestra
27 March 1923
SB; pub. B&H;[113] dur. 8 min; fp;[114] instr;[115] arr. baritone and piano, see BV 295a
BV 295a
Zigeunerlied [Gypsy Song] Op. 55 no. 2, "Im Nebelgeriesel, im tiefen Schnee" (Johann Wolfgang von Goethe) [In the misty drizzle, in the deep snow], for baritone and piano
Fünf kurze Stücke zur Pflege des polyphonen Spiels auf dem Pianoforte. [Five short pieces for the cultivation of polyphonic playing on the piano.][117]
Schlechter Trost, "Mitternachts weint' und schluchzt' ich" (Johann Wolfgang von Goethe) [Poor Comfort, "At midnight I cried and sobbed"], (song) for baritone and orchestra
24 February 1924
SB; pub.;[124] dur. 3 min; fp;[125] instr;[126] arr. baritone and piano, see BV 298a
BV 298a
Schlechter Trost, "Mitternachts weint' und schluchzt' ich" (Johann Wolfgang von Goethe) [Poor Comfort, "At midnight I cried and sobbed"], (song) for baritone and piano
Lied des Brander, "Es war eine Ratt' im Kellernest" (Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, from Faust) [Brander's Song, "There was a rat in the basement nest"], for baritone and piano
"Wie an dem Tag, der dich der Welt verliehen" (Johann Wolfgang von Goethe) ["How on the day, which bestowed thee upon the world"], (song) for voice and piano
This section lists additional original works not assigned numbers in the Kindermann catalog. They are listed in the order given in Roberge (pp. 45–46) with one additional item (no. 9).
No.
Title
Date(s) of composition
Details
1
Overtüre zu einem gedachten Singspiel nach der Tradition des "Lieben Augustin", for orchestra [Overture for an intended Singspiel based on the "Lieber Augustin" Tradition]
Reminiscenza Rossiniana, "Caro Dent due paroline in confidenza" (Ferruccio Busoni) ["My dear Dent, two small words in confidence"], for voice and piano
Lied der Schieber am Kurfürstendamm, "Wir schieben, wir schieben" (Ferruccio Busoni) [Song of the Profiteers on Kurfürstendamm, "We profiteer, we profiteer"], for unison choir and piano
This section contains detailed information for selected catalog items.
^ BV 42: String quartet no. 2 (in F minor) Comprises: 4 movements
1) Allegro Agitato
2) Andante Sostenuto
3) Scherzo - Trio
4) Allegro Vivace
MS:SB53 (4 pages score)
Title: 2º Quartetto composto da Ferruccio Benvenuto Busoni
Ded: Al mio amatissimo padre (Ferdinando Busoni).
Date: Scritto il 28 Aprile 1876 (at the end of the 1st movement).
Pub: unpublished
Ref:Kindermann, pp. 43-44; Roberge, p. 11; Beaumont, p. 357.
^ BV 45: Il Dolore: Romanza senza parole [Sorrow: Romance without words] (in A minor), for piano Tempo: Andante
MS:SB40 (6 pages score)
Ded: Alla Memoria dell' Illustrissimo Signor Barone Hermann de Todesco.
Date: Composta il 21 Giugno 1876 all'età di anni 10 in Gmunden.
MS:SB N. Mus. ms. 120 (copy of SB40)
Title: Der Schmerz. Lied ohne Worte für Klavier allein, componirt von dem 10jährigen Ferruccio Benvenuto Busoni.
Ded: Zur Erinnerung an den Herrn Baron Hermann von Todesco.
Date: Scritta il 21 Giugno 1876 all'età di anni 10.
Ref:Kindermann, pp. 45-46; Roberge, p. 11; Beaumont, p. 357; Sitsky, pp. 13, 364, 380.
^ BV 48: Gavottina (in F major) Op. 3 no. 3, for piano MS:SB55 (2 pages); SB56 "Gavotta" is identical to SB55.
Date: Scritta l'11 Novembre 1876 all'età di anni 10 e mezzo a Vienna.
Note: This piece was probably intended for BV 71 (Beaumont).
Ref:Kindermann, p. 47; Beaumont, p. 358; Sitsky, p. 364.
^ BV 51 Ouverture (in E major), for (large) orchestra (unfinished) Tempi: Moderato - Allegro
MS:SB58 (title page, 25 pages score) (fragment)
Title: Ouverture per Grande Orchestra composta da Ferr. Weiß-Busoni
Date: Composta nell'anno 1876 in Vienna.
Instrumentation: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons; 2 horns, 2 trumpets, 2 trombones, bass trombone; timpani, tubular bells, harp; strings
Pub: unpublished
Arrangement: piano duet, see BV 128 Ref:Kindermann, pp. 48-49; Roberge, p. 12; Beaumont, p. 357.
^ BV 57: Sonata (No. 4 in F minor)? (unfinished) Alternative titles: 1) Zwei Kompositionen in d-Moll und f-Moll für Pianoforte (Kindermann)
2) Two Pieces in D minor and F minor for Piano (fragments) (Roberge)
3) 2 pieces Op. 6, for piano (Beaumont)
4) Sonata fragment Op. 6 (Sitsky)
MS:SB78
Comprises: 1) Titlepage: "Op. 6"
2) Piece in D minor (3 pages, fragment)
3) Piece in F minor (5 pages, fragment)
Notes: 1) On the last page of (3) is written: "Sonata 4ª"
2) On the first page of (3) are listed:
Iª Sonata Do magg: [probably BV 58 IIª Sonata Re magg: [probably BV 61]
IIIª Sonata Mi magg: [probably BV 65]
IVª Sonata Fa min: [probably this work, BV 57]
Vª Sonata [to] IXª Sonata [all without indication of key]
This list probably refers to an intended set of sonatas which was never completed. (Kindermann, Sitsky)
Ref: Kindermann, pp. 51-52; Sitsky, pp. 23-24; Roberge, p. 12; Beaumont, p. 358.
^ BV 58: Sonata No. 1 in C major Op. 7, for piano MS: ' SB64 (Title page; 1 blank page; no.1: 3 pages; 2 blank pages; nos. 2-4: 6 pages; 2 blank pages)
Comprises: 1) Allegro con brio
2) Andante mosso
3) (Menuet) - Trio
4) (no tempo marking; 2/4)
Title: Sonata No. 1 in Do magg: Op. 7 Composta da Ferruccio Benvenuto Busoni
Date: il 20 Maggio 1877 all' età di anni undici e 2 mesi in tempo sua malattia
Note: This sonata was probably intended to be part of a set of at least 9 sonatas, never completed (see BV 57).
Ref: Kindermann, pp. 52-53; Sitsky, pp. 23-24; Roberge, p. 12; Beaumont, p. 358.
^ BV 61: Sonata No. 2 in D major Op. 8, for piano MS:SB67 (Title page; 21 pages score; 1 blank page)
Comprises: 1) Allegro con fuoco
2) Andante con Variazione: Andante con moto quasi Andantino
3) Andante - Allegro Vivace
Title: Sonata No. 2 in Re magg: Composta per il pianoforte. Op. 8 da Ferruccio Benvenuto Busoni
Date: il 5 Luglio 1877 in Gmunden all' età di anni 11.
Note: 1) This sonata was probably intended to be part of a set of at least 9 sonatas, never completed (see BV 57).
2) BV 62 may originally have been intended to be part of this sonata (Beaumont).
Ref: Kindermann, pp. 54-55; Sitsky, pp. 23-24; Roberge, p. 12; Beaumont, p. 358.
^ BV 62: Scherzo (in F-sharp minor), for piano Tempo: Presto
MS:G. Ricordi, Milan
Title: Scherzo, tratto dalla Sonata Op. 8 in Mi magg: composto da Ferruccio Benv. Busoni
[Scherzo from the Sonata Op. 8 in E major, composed by Ferruccio Benvenuto Busoni]
Ded: All'Illustre Critico Sigr. Filippo Dr. Filippi.
Date:Gmunden, (Austr. Sup.) Luglio 1877
Pub: F. Lucca, Milan, 1882, plate. no. Z 35468 Z, (5 pages)
Title: Scherzo per pianoforte tratto dalla Sonata Op. 8 in Mi Maggiore
Ded: All'Illustre Critico Cavaliere Filippo Dottr. Filippi.
Notes:
1) Scherzo movement probably originally intended for the Sonata No. 3 in E major Op. 9, BV 65 (Sitsky); or the Sonata No. 2 in D major Op. 8, BV 61 (Beaumont).
2) According to Busoni's handwritten catalog of works (ca. 1881) the piece was composed on 5 July 1877.
3) Publication was announced on 16 September 1882 in L'Arte, Trieste.
Ref: Kindermann, pp. 55-56; Sitsky, p. 41; Beaumont, p. 358.
^ BV 64: Preludio (in E minor), for piano Tempo: Andante sostenuto
MS:SB68 (1 page)
Title: Preludio
Date:Gmunden den 4 September 1877 (at the end of the composition).
Text: "Du bist wie eine Blume" (Heinrich Heine) ["You are like a flower"]
Note: The text by Heine appears in the piano part rather than the title.
Ref:Kindermann, p. 57; Roberge, p. 13; Beaumont, p. 358; Sitsky, p. 365.
^ BV 65: Sonata No. 3 in E major Op. 9, for piano (unfinished) MS:SB69
Title: Sonata No. 3 in Mi magg: Op. 9
Comprises: 1) (no tempo marking; E major; 4/4; 8 pages)
2) one intervening title page: Sonata Nº 3 Mi maggiore
3) Finale (E major; 6/8; sketch, 6 pages)
Date: Composta il 14 September 1877 (at the end of the composition).
Notes: 1) BV 62 was probably originally to be part of this sonata (Sitsky).
2) This sonata was probably intended to be part of a set of at least 9 sonatas, never completed (see BV 57).
Ref:Kindermann, pp. 57-58; Roberge, p. 13; Beaumont, p. 358; Sitsky, pp. 41, 365.
^ BV 67: "Ave Maria," (Antiphon) Op. 1, for voice and piano MS: unknown
Comp: 1 October 1977 (set Note 1)
Pub: Vienna: C. A. Spina and Hamburg: August Cranz, n.d. [1878 (Dent)], plate no. C.24586, (5 pages)
Title: Ave Maria per Canto accompagnamento dir Pianoforte, Op. 1
Ded: Omaggio al celebre Tenore Cav. Angelo Masini Notes: 1) Date of composition for this work is written on the first page of ms SB360 (BV 50): "Ave Maria 1/10/77"
2) According to Busoni's handwritten catalog of works (ca. 1881) the piece was composed in 1877 in Gmunden.
Ref:Kindermann, pp. 58-59; Dent, p. 345; Roberge, p. 13; Beaumont, p. 358.
^ BV 71: Cinq Pièces [Five Pieces] Op. 3, for piano Comprises: 1) Preludio: Andante
2) Minuetto - Trio
3) Gavotta - Trio
4) Etude: Allegretto con moto
5) Gigue: Allegro
Comp: 1877
MS: unknown
Pub: Leipzig: August Cranz, n.d. [1877 (Dent)], plate nos. C.24541 to C.24545, (3, 5, 5, 5, and 7 pages)
First performance: Vienna and Baden, 1878; Ferruccio Busoni, piano
Notes: 1) According to Busoni's handwritten catalog of works (ca. 1881) this piece was composed in 1877 in Vienna.
2) This is Busoni's first published work.
Ref:Dent, p. 340; Kindermann, pp. 61-63; Roberge, p. 13; Beaumont, p. 358; Sitsky, pp. 40-41.
^ BV 72: Andante con moto (in E minor) Op. 10, for clarinet and piano Alternative titles: 1) Komposition in e-Moll für Klarinette und Pianoforte (Kindermann)
2) Suite in E minor for Clarinet and Piano (Roberge)
3) Suite Op. 10, for clarinet and piano (Beaumont)
Comprises: Andante con moto (in E minor) (4/4, 80 bars) (one movement only)
MS:SB79
Page inventory: Full score: Title page; 3 pages score (clarinet in C; piano); 1 blank page; 2 pages score
Clarinet part in C: both sides of a single sheet
Title: Klarinetten-Suite, Op. 10
Date: 1877.
Pub: Munich: G. Henle Verlag, 1992; cat. no. HN 467; ed. by Georg Meerwein
Title: Andante con moto
Full score: pp. 1-3 (clarinet in C; piano)
Clarinet part: p. 1 (in B-flat); p. 18 (in C).
Note: Between measures 40 and 41 the full score and the clarinet part of the manuscript have an additional 14 bars not included in the published score. These were later stricken from the ms full score. The clarinet part notates this section in "two-part texture." (Meerwein)
Ref: Meerwein, Full score: pp. vi-vii (Preface), 53 (Comments); Kindermann, p. 63; Beaumont, p. 359; Roberge, p. 13; Sitsky, p. 365.
^ BV 203: Six études Op. 16, for piano Comprises: Etüde 1. Allegro deciso
Etüde 2. Allegro moderato
Etüde 3. Moderato
Etüde 4. Allegro vivace e con fuoco
Etüde 5. (Fuga.) Allegro giusto
Etüde 6. Scherzo. Vivacissimo, energico, feroce
Comp: 1883 (B.)
Manuscript: Unknown
Publications: 1) Vienna: Albert J. Gutmann, n.d. [1883 (D.)], cat. no. A.J.G. 614, plate no. 8285, (29 pages)
2) No. 5 only: Vienna: Albert J. Gutmann, Copyright 1884 by G. Schirmer, New York, cat. no. 530, (8 pages)
3) Leipzig: Breitkopf & Härtel, Copyright 1886 by G. Schirmer, New York, cat. no. EB 5079, plate no. 28468 (29 pages)
4) No. 5 only: [Leipzig: Breitkopf & Härtel], Copyright 1886 by G. Schirmer, New York, plate no. A.J.G. 530, (8 pages)
5) Reprint: Wiesbaden-Leipzig-Paris: Breitkopf & Härtel, n.d. [1950? or later], cat. no. 5079, plate no. 28468, (29 pages)
6) Nos. 2-4: Moscow: Muzyka, 1969, ed. Grigorii Kogan (R.)
Dedication:Johannes Brahms First performances: 1) Graz, 21 October 1883; (no. 5 only); Ferruccio Busoni, piano. (R.)
2) Vienna, 1884; (only 2 of the 6); Ferruccio Busoni, piano (D.)
Ref:Dent, pp. 46, 341; Kindermann, pp. 163-165; Sitsky, p. 47; Beaumont, p. 365; Roberge, p. 26.
BV 204: Sonate f-moll Op. 20 für Klavier [Sonata in F minor, Op. 20, for piano]
Comprises:[135] 1) Allegro risoluto vivace ed energico
2) Andante con moto
3) Nella guesa d'un'improvvisazione - Allegro fugato
Manuscript:SB187 (Sonate Op. 20)
Dedication:Anton Rubinstein gewidmet
Dated: Vienna Natale 1883 [Vienna, Christmas, 1883] (at the end of the manuscript)
First performance: Vienna, Bösendorfer Saal, 6 March 1884; Ferruccio Busoni, piano
Publication:B&H, 1983, as Op. 20a, ed. Jutta Theurich
Recording: Wolf Harden, piano (Naxos 8572077)[135] Ref:Dent, p. 341; Kindermann. pp. 165–166; Sitsky, p. 26; Beaumont, p. 365; Roberge, p. 26.
BV 241: [6] Stücke [Pieces] Op. 33b, for piano Comprises: Series I (ded. Max Reger):
1) Schwermut [Melancholy]
2) Frohsinn [Gaiety],
3) Scherzino [Little Scherzo]
Series II (ded. Isabella Stewart Gardner):
4) Fantasia in modo antico [Fantasia in antique style]. Allegro risoluto
5) Finnische Ballade [Finnish Ballade]
6) Exeunt omnes [Everyone exits]
Composed: 1895 (Beaumont)
Manuscript:Busoni Archive No.223 (sketches)
Title: Finnische Ballade
4 sheets, notated on one side only, attached
Publications: 1) Leipzig: C. F. Peters, Copyright 1896, cat. no. 2838, plates 8222 (nos. 1-3); 8223 (nos. 4-6), 36 pages
2) Helsinki: Fazer, 1957 (no. 6 only, with a note by Roberto Wis)
3) Moscow: Muzyka, 1969 (nos. 1, 2, 4, 5, ed. Grigorii Kogan)
4) Frankfurt, New York, and London: C. F. Peters, 1982
Ref:Dent, p. 342; Kindermann, pp. 213-216; Beaumont, p. 368; Roberge, p. 31.
^ BV 274: Sonatina in diem nativitatis Christi MCMXVII für Klavier zu zwei Händen MS: 1) Wiesbaden: Breitkopf & Härtel (dated 22 December 1917, at the end of the composition)
2) SB304 (dated 19 December 1917; 21 December 1917, at the end)
Dedication: "An Benvenuto" (Benvenuto Busoni)
Pub: 1) Leipzig: Breitkopf & Härtel, Copyright 1918, cat. no. EB 5071, plate no. 27744, (9 pages)
2) Leipzig: VEB Breitkopf & Härtel, [1949] (reprint)
3) Wiesbaden: Breitkopf & Härtel, [1960 or later] (reprint)
4) Milan: Ricordi, 1986.
First performance:Tonhalle, Zürich (?); 24 January 1910; Ferruccio Busoni, piano.
Ref:Kindermann, pp. 331-332; Dent, p. 344; Roberge, p. 39; Beaumont, pp. 251, 370; Sitsky, pp. 79, 376, 381.
Clarinet and piano compilation
Ferruccio Busoni: Early Character Pieces for Clarinet and Piano
Pub: Munich: G. Henle Verlag; 1992; cat. no. HN 467; edited by Georg Meerwein; fingering of piano part by Klaus Schilde.
Note: clarinet in B-flat, except as noted (cl = clarinet; pf = piano)
Contents: full score (cl & pf); instrumental part (cl)
Preface, p. V-VIII (full score only; by Georg Meerwein, Bamberg, autumn 1991)
Andante con moto (BV 72), pp. 1-3 (cl in C & pf); p. 2 (cl in B-flat), p. 18 (cl in C)
Novellette: Allegro (BV 116), pp. 41-51; pp. 16-17
Comments, pp. 53-55 (full score only; by Georg Meerwein)
Biographical notes
Caroline (or Karoline) Bettelheim (1843-1891), wife of Julius Gomperz. Born in Hungary in humble circumstances, she became a pianist, sang at the Carltheater in Vienna, and from 1872 as a contralto at the Vienna Hofoper. After her marriage she gave up singing in public except at charity events. (Dent, p. 21; Beaumont, p. 16.)
Anna Weiß-Busoni (13 January 1833 – 3 October 1909), Ferruccio Busoni's mother, was a well-known professional pianist. She and his father Ferdinando, a clarinet player, toured together frequently while Ferruccio was still a young boy. She also initiated piano, violin, and toy flute lessons with her young son not long before to his fourth birthday, when the family was living in Paris. (Dent, pp. 5, 10, 190.)
Benvenuto Busoni (24 May 1892 - 1976), the first of Ferruccio Busoni's two sons, was born in Boston while his father held a post at the New England Conservatory of Music. He became a painter as an adult and on 28 January 1922 married Henriette Rinderknecht, a seamstress from Zurich. It has been said that he chose to marry her because she had never heard of his father. He died in Berlin. (Dent, pp. 98, 253; Beaumont, p. 348; Couling, pp. 333, 354.)
Ferdinando Busoni (24 June 1834 – 12 May 1909) was Ferruccio Busoni's father and an accomplished clarinet player. Early in 1873, upon returning from a tour and rejoining his family in Trieste, Ferdinando took charge of Ferruccio's piano instruction shortly before the boy's seventh birthday. He also added lessons in composition. Ferruccio wrote his first preserved piece, Canzone, Op. 1 (BV 1), in June of that year. He made his first appearance in public as a pianist in a concert with his parents on 23 November 1873. (Dent, pp. 2, 16-17, 189; Kindermann, p. 21.)
Luigi Cimoso (†15 or 16 June 1884), a pianist and teacher, was a close friend of Ferruccio Busoni and Busoni's mother Anna. (Dent, p. 24; Beaumont, p. 24.)
Ersilia Grusovin was Ferruccio Busoni's cousin and the daughter of Mina Weiß Grusovin, his mother Anna's sister. (Dent, p. 8.)
Angelo Masini (1844–1926) was an Italian tenor, admired for his portrayal of the title role in Donzetti's Don Sebastiano.[136]
Gino Tagliapietra (1887-1954) was an Italian pianist and composer. He became a professor at the Liceo Benedetto Marcello, Venice. (Beaumont, 1987, p. 80n.)
Sophie Baroness Todesco (née Gomperz) (1825-1895), wife of Baron Hermann de Todesco; member of the Gomperz family: sister of Theodor Gomperz, Julius Gomperz, and Josephine von Wertheimstein. She provided a tutor for the young Ferruccio Busoni (German and general subjects), and she and her sister Josephine generously contributed money toward his expenses over a period of many years. (Dent, p. 21; Seising, p. 65.)
^For examples of the use of the letters KiV see:
1) Musical Heritage Society web site (Retrieved 17 March 2009); 2) Amazon.com product page (Retrieved 17 March 2009).
^ abcstring parts: violin I, violin II, viola, cello (Roberge, p. 13)
^BV 77: Menuetto (in F major) Op. 14, for piano
MS: G. Ricordi, Milan
Pub:
F. Lucca, Milan, 1882, cat. no. 35469
G. Ricordi, Milan, 1882, cat. no. 64496
G. Ricordi, Milan, 1926, (with BV 89) (ed. Gino Tagliapietra), ER 653
Anthologie alter und neuer Musik für Klavier, vol. 18, 1934, ed. Gino Tagliapietra, ER 1678
Ded: Paula Flamm
Note: While in Vienna, Busoni became friends with a girl his own age, Paula Flamm, the daughter of wealthy parents and also a piano student. Later she would marry Wilhelm Gericke, the conductor. (Dent, pp. 29, 45)
Ref: Sitsky, p. 44; Beaumont, p. 359; Roberge, p. 14.
^ abBV 80: Concerto (in D minor) Op. 17, for piano and string quartet
Original title: "Concerto per piano-forte con accompagnamento di quartetto ad arco, Op. 17"
Comprises four movements:
1) Allegro (dur. 5 min)
2) Adagio (dur. 7 min)
3) Scherzo (dur. 3 min)
4) Allegro (dur. 5 min)
MS: SB84
Pub: B&H, Wiesbaden, 1987 (ed. Larry Sitsky)
Instr: Larry Sitsky proposes, based on the presence of tutti and divisi indications in the score, that a small string orchestra is ideal, with cellos doubled with the string bass, a common practice at the time.
Ref: Sitsky, pp. 26-28, 365; Beaumont, p. 359; Roberge, p. 14.
^ abcBV 81: Suite campestre Op. 18, for piano
Comprises:
1) Canzone Villereccia del Matino [Country Morning Song] Op. 5; comp. 3 April 1878
2) La Caccia [The Hunt], Op. 6; comp. 2 April 1878
3) L'Orgia [Secret Rite], Op. 7; comp. 4 April 1878
4) Il Ritorno [The Return] Op. 9; comp. 5 April 1878
5) Preghiera della Sera [Evening Prayer] Op. 10; comp. 1 April 1878
MS: SB85
Pub: B&H, Wiesbaden, 1981 (ed. by Franzpeter Goebels), EB 8127
Ref: Sitsky, p. 25; Beaumont, p. 359; Roberge, p. 14.
^BV 85: Preludio e Fuga in C minor Op. 21, for piano
MS: G. Ricordi and SB?? (fugue only)
Pub:
F. Lucca, Milan, 1882, cat. no. 35470
G. Ricordi, Milan, 1926 (with BV 180, ed. Gino Tagliapietra), ER 654
Ref: Sitsky, p. 41; Beaumont, p. 359; Roberge, p. 14.
^ abcBV 88: Suite Op. 10, for clarinet and piano
Comprises:
Improvvisata [Impromptu]
Barcarola
Elegia
Danza campestre [Country Dance]
Tema variato [Theme with Variations]
Serenata
Comp: Vienna, May 1878 (nos. 2 & 3); Vienna, June 1878 (nos. 1, 4, 5, & 6)
MS: SB92
Pub: Munich: G. Henle Verlag, 1992; cat. no. HN 467; ed. by Georg Meerwein
Ref: Kindermann, pp. 74-75; Beaumont, p. 359; Roberge, p. 15; Sitsky, p. 366; Meerwein, pp. vi-vii, 4-24.
^BV 89: Gavotta Op. 25, for piano
MS: G. Ricordi, Milan
Pub:
F. Lucca, Milan, 1882, cat. no. 35471
G. Ricordi, Milan, 1927, (with BV 77) (ed. Gino Tagliapietro), ER 653
Ref: Sitsky, p. 42; Beaumont, p. 360; Roberge, p. 15.
^BV 98a: Des Sängers Fluch Op. 39, for alto voice and orchestra
Instrumentation: 2 flutes (Piccolo), 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons; 2 horns, 2 trumpets; tam-tam, timpani, 2 harps; strings (Roberge, p. 16)
^ abcBV 100: Racconti Fantastici Op. 12, for piano
Comprises::
1) "Duello" ["Duel"]
2) "Klein Zaches" ["Little Zaches"] (vedi la novella fantastica di E. T. A. Hoffmann)
3) "La caverna di Steenfoll" [The Cavern of Steenfoll] (vedi il racconto fantastico di G. Hauff) Text Comp: 1878 (Dent; Kindermann) or 1881 or 1882 (Prinz). (Roberge, p. 16.)
Pub:
Edizione Trebbi, Bologna, 1882, cat nos. 1571-73
B&H, Wiesbaden, 1983 (ed. Franzpeter Goebels), EB 8128
First performed:
Bologna, 1883. Ferruccio Busoni, piano. (Dent, 1933)
Ded: Stefano Golinelli
Ref: Dent, p. 341; Sitsky, p. 36; Beaumont, p. 364; Roberge, p. 16.
^BV 101 first performed on 7 February 1879 in Mercantil-Saal, Bolzano, with Ferruccio Busoni on piano and his father, Ferdinando Busoni, on clarinet. (Roberge, p. 16)
^ abBV 114: Albumvokale Op. 30, for voice and piano
Comprises:
Il fiore del Pensiero, "Brillava in sulla sera un fiorellin d'estate" (Ferdinando Busoni) [Flower of thought, "There glittered until evening a little summer flower"], dur. 3 min
L'ultimo sonno, "Il nonno dorme, eppure ha gli occhi aperti" (Michele Buono) [The last sleep, "The grandpa is sleeping, nevertheless has the eyes open"]
Un organetto suono per la via (Lorenzo Stecchetti); dur. 4 min [A barrel-organ plays on the street], comp. 3 July 1879; dur. 3 min
Ballatello, "Luna fedel tu chiama" (Arrigo Boito) [Little Ballad, "Faithful moon you call"]; dur. 5 min
MSS:
Museo del Teatro Verdi, Trieste
no. 2: SB123 (Untitled. A setting for voice and orchestra.)JU Pub: C. Schmidl and M. V. Vicentini, 1884
Ref: Beaumont, p. 365; Roberge, p. 17.
Naxos Records 8.557245 product page. Retrieved 23 March 2009.
Naxos Records 8.557245 song text and translations. Retrieved 23 March 2009.
^BV 119 "Stabat Mater" Op. 55 first performed on 23 November 1879 in Graz with Ferrucio Busoni conducting. (Dent, p. 36)
^BV 120a composed in the 1880s acc. Schnapp (cited in Roberge, p. 18)
^BV 124: Menuetto capriccioso in C major Op. 61, for piano
Pub:
August Cranz, Hamburg, 1880
C. A. Spina, Vienna, 1880, cat. no. 25134, with BV 152
Izdatel'stvo muzyka, Moscow, 1969 (ed. Grigorii Kogan)
First performed:
Milan, 1881; Ferruccio Busoni, piano
Ded: Josephine von Wertheimstein Ref: Dent, p. 342; Sitsky, p. 42; Beaumont, p. 361; Roberge, p. 18.
^ abcBV 126: Danze antiche [Ancient Dances] Op. 11, for piano
Comprises:
1) Minuetto Op. 26 (Op. 12); comp. 22 July 1878; ded. Riccardo Eckhel
2) Gavotta Op. 62 (Op. 35); comp. 13 December 1879; ded. Giulio Fugamalli
3) Gigue Op. 63 (Op. 36); comp. 22 December 1879; ded. Giuseppe Sinico
4) Bourrée Op. 10?; comp. (undated); ded. Antonio Zampieri
MS: G. Ricordi, Milan
Pub:
F. Lucca, Milan, 1882, cat. nos. 36963-6
G. Ricordi, Milan, 1926, ER 652, ed. Gino Tagliapietra First performed:
No. 3: Graz, 1880; Ferruccio Busoni, piano
Ref: Dent, p. 341; Sitsky, p. 44; Beaumont, pp. 360, 362; Roberge, p. 18
^BV 152: Pub:
August Cranz, Hamburg, 1880;
C. A. Spina, Vienna, 1880, cat. no. 35135, with BV 124.
Izdatel'stvo muzyka, Moscow, 1969 (ed. Grigorii Kogan)
First performed:
Trieste, 1881; Ferruccio Busoni, piano
Ded: Baroness Sophie von Todesco Ref: Dent, p. 342; Sitsky, p. 43; Beaumont, p. 362; Roberge, p. 20.
^ abDr. Wilhelm Mayer (10 June 1831, Prague - 23 January 1898, Graz) was Busoni's composition and music teacher in Graz from Jan 1880 to Mar 1881. Mayer composed under the pseudonym W. A. Rémy. (Dent, pp. 36-40)
^BV 156: Duo (in E minor) Op. 43 (Op. 73), for 2 flutes and piano
MS: SB151
Pub: Monteux, France: Musica Rara, 1991, ed. J. Theurich, (12 pages, 2 parts)
MS: G. Ricordi, Milan
Pub:
F. Lucca, Milan, 1882, cat nos. 36967-9
G. Ricordi, Milan, 1882, cat. nos. 64489-91
G. Ricordi, Milan, 1927, ER 651, ed. Gino Tagliapietra First performed:
Bologna, 1882; Ferruccio Busoni, piano. (Dent)
Ref: Dent, p. 341; Sitsky, p. 43; Beaumont, pp. 362-363; Roberge, p. 21.
^BV 161: Impromptu (in E minor) Op. 48, for clarinet and piano. The piano part is missing.
^BV 166: Praeludium Fuge in G minor Op. 74, for piano
MSS:
SB156 Fuge, G minor
SB157 Praeludium Fuge in G minor Op. 74
Arr: Praeludium rev. and transposed, see BV 220
Ref: Sitsky, p. 373; Beaumont, p. 363; Roberge, p. 21.
^ abBV 167: Zwei Lieder Op. 31, for voice and piano
Comprises:
"Wer hat das erste Lied erdacht" (Victor Blüthgen) ["Who invented the first song"] Op. 77, for mezzo-soprano or tenor and piano
"Bin ein fahrender Gesell" (Rudolf Baumbach) ["I am a traveling fellow"], for bass or baritone and piano
MSS:
SB158 (no. 1 only)
Museo del Teatro Verdi, Trieste
Pub:
C. Schmidl and M. V. Vincentini, Trieste, 1884
B&H, 1919
Ded: Rudolf Baumbach (no. 2)
Ref: Beaumont, p. 363; Roberge, p. 21; Sitsky, p. 369.
Naxos Records 8.557245 product page. Retrieved 23 March 2009.
Naxos Records song text and translations. Retrieved 23 March 2009.
^BV 180: Preludio e Fuga Op. 36, for piano
MS: G. Ricordi, Milan
Pub:
F. Lucca, Milan, 1882, cat. no. 36962
G. Ricordi, Milan, 1926 (with BV 85), ed. Gino Tagliapietra, ER 654
G. Ricordi, Milan, 1934, vol. 18 Anthologie alter und neuer Musik für Klavier, ed. Gino Tagliapietra First performance:
Bologna, 1882; Ferruccio Busoni, piano.
Ded: Alfredo Catalani
Ref: Sitsky, p. 43; Dent, p. 342; Beaumont, p. 364; Roberge, p. 23.
^ abBV 181: 24 Preludes Op. 37, for piano
Comprises:
1) Moderato (in C major)
2) Andantino sostenuto (in A minor)
3) Andante con moto (in G major)
4) Allegretto (in E minor)
5) Vivace assai quasi presto (in D major)
6) Moderato, in carattere d'un Corale (in B minor)
7) Allegro vivace (in A major)
8) Allegro moderato (in F-sharp minor)
9) Allegretto vivace e con brio, in carattere campestre (in E major)
10) Vivace ed energico (in C-sharp minor)
11) Allegretto piacevole "alla danza" (in B major)
12) Andantino (in G-sharp minor)
13) Allegretto scherzando (in F-sharp major)
14) Lento, funebre (in E-flat minor)
15) Andatino sostenuto, con espressione (in D-flat major)
16) Maestoso ed energico (in B-flat minor)
17) Allegretto vivace (in A-flat major)
18) Allegretto con moto (in F minor)
19) Allegro vivo (in E-flat major)
20) Allegro moderato (in C minor)
21) Andantino sostenuto (in B-flat major)
22) Vivace e scherzoso (in G minor)
23) Allegro vivace (in F major)
24) Presto (in D minor)
MS: G. Ricordi, Milan
Pub:
F. Lucca, Milan, 1881, cat. nos. 36641-44
G. Ricordi, Milan, 1881, cat. nos. 64500-4
G. Ricordi, Milan, 1927, ed. by Gino Tagliapietra, ER 694-95; reprinted 1954, 1975 (vol. 1), 1977 (vol. 2).
Nos. 1, 6, and 10: 1934, vol. 18 Anthologie alter und neuer Musik für Klavier, Milan, ed. Gino Tagliapietra, ER 1678
First performed:
Ferruccio Busoni, piano:
Bologna, 1880 (no. 2)
Milan, 1881 (nos. 3, 9, 11)
Bologna, 1882 (nos. 14, 15, 21)
Trieste, 1884 (no. 10)
Helsinki, 1890 (nos. 1, 8)
Ref: Dent, p. 342; Sitsky, p. 45; Beaumont, p. 364; Roberge, p. 23
^ abBV 185: Una Festa di Villaggio Op. 9, for piano
Comprises:
1) Preparazioni alla Festa [Preparations for the Festival]
2) Marcia trionfale [Triumphal March] (see also BV 193)
3) In Chiesa [In Church]
4) La Fiera [The Fair]
5) Danza [Dance]
6) Notte [Night]
MS: G. Ricordi, Milan
Pub:
F. Lucca, Milan, 1882, cat. nos. 36744 to 36749; 36750 (for the set)
G. Ricordi, Milan, 1882, cat. nos. 64482 to 64487; 64488 (for the set)
G. Ricordi, Milan, 1926, ER 650
No. 5: Boston, 1915, in Album of piano music by Italian composers, ed. G. V. Palladino.
Nos. 1-3: G. Ricordi, Milan, 1934, in Anthologie alter und neuer Musik für Klavier, vol. 18, ed. Gino Tagliapietra, ER 1678
First performed:
Bergamo, 1882; Ferruccio Busoni, piano
Ded: Angelo and Fanny Speckel
Ref: Sitsky, pp. 37-38; Beaumont, p. 364; Roberge, p. 23.
^ abBV 186: Introduzione e Fuga sopra un Corale
Chorale: "Herzliebster Jesu was hast verbrochen" ["Beloved Jesus, what hast Thou done wrong"] from the St Matthew Passion (Bach), BWV 244 No. 3 (Roberge, p. 23)
Instrumentation: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, English horn, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons; 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones; timpani; strings (Roberge, p. 23)
^BV 189: Danza Notturna Op. 13, for piano
Pub: Edizione Trebbi, Bologna, 1882, cat. no. 1574
First performed:
Bologna, 1883; Ferruccio Busoni, piano.
Ref: Dent, p. 341; Sitsky, pp. 36-37; Beaumont, p. 364; Roberge, p. 24.
^BV 190: "Ave Maria" Op. 35, (Antiphon) for baritone and orchestra
MS: Nino Bezzi
Pub: F. Lucca, Milan, 1882
G. Ricordi, Milan, 1942
Instrumentation: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons; 4 horns, 2 trumpets; strings; includes piano reduction
Ded: Niccola Bezzi
Ref: Dent, p. 340; Beaumont, p. 364; Roberge, p. 24.
^ abBV 191: Primavera, Estate, Autunno, Inverno Op. 40, for male voice soloists, male chorus, and orchestra
Comprises:
1) Primavera [Spring]. "Nel primo giorno di calendi Maggio" []
2) Estate [Summer]. "Tu mi se'nato o fiorellin d'amour" []
3) Autunno [Autumn]. "Chi mi dice onde vien la rondinella []
4) Inverno [Winter]. "Dal giorno che ti vidi" []
Text author: Francesco Dall'Ongaro MSS: G. Ricordi, Milan (Complete autograph)
SB175 ((First movement only)
Title on MS: "I. Frühling, Op. 40, No. 1"
Text translated to German by Franziska von Kapff-Essenther.
Pub:
F. Lucca, Milan, 1882, cat. nos. 37041 to 37044; 37045 (for the set)
G. Ricordi, Milan, (undated), cat. nos. 57539 to 57542; 57543 (for the set)
Plate nos. 57539 to 57542
Instrumentation: 2 flutes, 2 oboes (English horn), 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons; 4 horns, 2 trumpets; timpani; chorus: TTBB; strings; includes piano reduction
Ded: Pietro Bini
Ref: Dent, p. 340; Beaumont, p. 364; Roberge, p. 24; Sitsky, p. 370; IMSLP
^ abcBV191a: Frühling, for male chorus (TTBB) a cappella Comp: undated; probably composed after 1882.
MS: SB176 (Title: "I. Primavera. Frühling."), unpub.
Text author: Francesco Dall'Ongaro; translated to German by Franziska von Kapff-Essenther.
Ref: Sitsky, p. 370; Roberge, p. 24; Beaumont, p. 364.
^ abBV 192: Il sabato del villagio
Subtitle: "poema campestre" [rustic poem], see Giacomo Leopardi: Il sabato del villaggio MSS:
SB154 (Sketches)
SB177 (Full score, lost during World War II)
SB178 (Vocal score, lost during WWII)
SB179-81 (Parts, lost during WWII, later reappeared in the West Berlin Preußischer Kulturbesitz)
N. Mus. Nachl. 4, 71 and 4, 72
N. Mus. Nachl. 4, 71,2 and 4, 71,3 (copies of the first and seventh parts)
unpub.
Soloists: soprano, alto, tenor, bass
Instrumentation: piccolo, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, English horn, 2 clarinets, bass clarinet, 2 bassoons; 4 horns, 3 trumpets; ; strings
First performances:
Bologna, Teatro comunale, 22 March 1883, conducted by Luigi Mancinelli
Repeated a few days later, conducted by Ferruccio Busoni
Ded: Luigi Mancinelli
Remarks:
In 1882, during the 900-year anniversary celebrations of the birth of Guido Monaco in Arezzo, the 16-year-old Ferruccio Busoni was engaged, through the kindness of Luigi Mancinelli, for a three-week period in September to play daily on pianos being displayed as part of an exhibition. Mancinelli was also conducting the opera Mefistofele by Arrigo Boito. Since Boito was attending the performances, Busoni had the opportunity to meet him. Both Mancinelli and Boito were impressed with the young man and made arrangements for the performance of his cantata.
Dent describes the reception and Boito's response: "Il Sabato di Villaggio was a very skillfully written work, but it was criticized at the time for its treatment of the poem, which was much cut up and distributed between different voices, with frequent repetitions of the words; Leopardi's lines were too contemplative and philosophical to bear handling in such a style. Boito, whom one would have expected to be the first to take a poet's view rather than a composer's, praised its 'admirable exuberance of rhythm' and its unceasing flow of melody. He urged Ferruccioto go on writing Leopardi to music, for he felt that Leopardi's profoundly thoughtful humanity was just what he wanted to give wings to his inspiration. 'If I am a severe critic of Ferruccio's music, the fault is his own; the admiration which he aroused in me at Arezzo was great; I expect great things of him, and I am sure he will give me them.'"
Ref: Dent, pp. 43, 340; Sitsky, pp. 370, 380; Beaumont, p. 365; Roberge, p. 24.
^ abBV 193: Marcia di Paesani e Contadine Op. 32, for piano
Remark: Intended (1) to replace the 2nd movement of BV 185 (Beaumont) or (2) as an addition to BV 185 (Dent, Sitsky).
MS: Museo del Teatro Verdi, Trieste (Beaumont)
Pub: Trieste: Schmidl-Vicentini, 1883, cat. no. C. 6 Sch. (taken over by Hofmeister Leipzig)
First performance: Trieste, 1883; Ferruccio Busoni, piano
Ref: Dent, p. 342; Sitsky, p. 38; Beaumont, p. 365; Roberge, p. 24.
^BV 194: Macchiette medioevali Op. 33, for piano
Comprises:
1) Dama [Lady]
2) Cavaliere [Knight]
3) Paggio [Page]
4) Guerriero [Warrior]
5) Astrologo [Astrologer]
6) Trovatore [Troubadour]
Pub:
Bologna: Edizione Trebbi, 1883, cat. nos. 1655 to 1660; 1661 (for the set)
Wiesbaden: B&H, 1982-1983, ed. Franzpeter Goebels, EB 8129
First performance:
Bologna, 1883; Ferruccio Busoni, piano
Ref: Dent, p. 341; Sitsky, p. 38; Beaumont, p. 365; Roberge, p. 24.
^BV 195: Macchiette medioevali No. 2/B. Cavaliere Reiter, for piano
Remark: alternative(?) version of no. 2 of BV 194
MS: SB183 (sketches); unpub.
Ref: Sitsky, p. 370; Roberge, p. 25.
^BV 196: Serenata Op. 34, for cello and piano
MS: G. Ricordi, Milan
Pub: F. Lucca, Milan, 1883?
First performance:
Vienna, 30 November 1883; Ferruccio Busoni, piano; cellist, not specified. (Dent)
Ded: Francesco Serato
Ref: Dent, pp. 46, 345; Sitsky, p. 381; Beaumont, p. 365; Roberge, p. 25.
^ abBV 197: Trois Morceaux Op. 4, 5, and 6, for piano
Comprises:
1) Scherzo Op. 4
2) Prélude et fugue (inside as Praeludium and Fuge) Op. 5
3) Scène de ballet Op. 6
Pub:
Emil Wetzler, Vienna, 1884, cat. nos. E. 118 W, E. 119 W, and E. 747 W
Verlag Doblinger, Vienna and Munich, 1976, D. 953
First performance:
Ferruccio Busoni, piano:
Bologna, 1883 (no. 2 and Praeludium?)
Vienna, 1884 (nos. 2 and 3)
Ded: Betty de Preleuthner
Ref: Sitsky, pp. 44-45; Dent, p. 341; Beaumont, p. 365; Roberge, p. 25.
^BV 198: Etude 15, en forme d' "Adagio" d'une Sonate (in D-flat major), for piano
MS: SB185; unpub.
Ded: Gussy Augusta Cottlow 1892 [in pencil; suggests Busoni may have considered publishing (Dent)]
Remarks: Evidently intended for BV 203. Also contains two related themes later used in the third (slow) movement ("Pezzo serioso") of the Concerto (BV 247). (Dent; Sitsky, pp. 103-8)
Ref: Sitsky, pp. 103-8, 370; Dent, p. 341; Beaumont, p. 365; Roberge, p. 25.
^BV 201: Symphonische Suite Op. 25
Comprises:
1) Präludium
2) Gavotte
3) Gigue
4) Langsames Intermezzo
5) Alla breve
Comp: Aug 1883 (Beaumont, p. 365); 1883 (Kindermann acc. Roberge, p. 25).
MSS: SB193 and SB194 (Autographs and copies of the third and fourth movements)
Pub: C. F. Kahnt Nachfolger, Leipzig, 1888; taken over by B&H Instr: 3 flutes (piccolo), 3 oboes (English horn), 3 clarinets (bass clarinet), 3 bassoons; 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba; timpani, percussion (cymbals, triangle); strings
First performance: Trieste, 9 June 1883 (Kindermann acc. Roberge, p. 25).
Ded: Hans Richter
Arr: for piano ("Gavotte"). Mentioned in B&H catalog, 1888 (dubious). (Beaumont, p. 365)
^ abcBV 202: Zwei Lieder Op. 15, for voice and piano
Comprises:
1) "Ich sah die Träne" ["I saw the tears"] (Byron)
2) "An Babylons Wassern" ["By Babylon's Waters"] (Byron)
Comp: Mar 1884 (Beaumont); 1883 (Kindermann)
Pub: Albert J. Gutmann, Vienna, 1884
Universal Edition, Vienna, date uncertain, cat. no. U. E. 7773 (9 pages)
Title: Zwei hebräische Melodien von Lord Byron für eine Singstimme mit Klavierbegleitung. Op. 15.
Ded: Caroline Gomperz-Bettelheim Arr: for male voice and piano, see BV 202a
Ref: Beaumont, p. 366; Kindermann, pp. 161-162; Roberge, p. 25.
^BV207 comprises: "Wohlauf! Der kühle Winter ist vergangen" (Neidhard von Reuenthal) and "Unter den Linden" (Walther von der Vogelweide)
^ abcBV 229: Vier Bagatellen, Op. 28, for violin and piano
Comprises:
1) Aus der Zopfzeit [From the Time of the Eighteenth-Century Zopfstil]
2) Kleiner Mohrentanz [Little Moorish Dance]
3) Wiener Tanzweise [Viennese Dance Tune]
4) Kosakenritt. Nach einem russischen Volksliede. [Ride of the Cossacks. After a Russian Folk Song.]
Comp: 1888 (Dent)
MS: Daniell Revenaugh (Beaumont)
Pub: Leipzig: C. F. Peters, n.d. (1888, Dent), plate no. 7249
Frankfurt am Main: C. F. Peters, 1982
Ded: Seinem lieben Egon Petri Ref: Dent, p. 345; Kindermann, pp. 187-188; Beaumont, p. 367; Roberge, p. 29.
^BV 236 first performed 27 August 1890 (OS 15 August). Concert Hall of Saint Petersburg Conservatoire. Busoni, piano; Orchestra of the Russian Musical Society; Moritz Köhler, conductor (Beaumont, 1985, p. 45)
^BV 238 comp. Jun 1894 (acc. Beaumont, 1985, p. 367); 1892? in Kindermann (1980) (acc. Roberge, 1991, p. 30)
^BV 238a first performance: Milan 1913 (Ferruccio Busoni, piano) acc. Dent (1933), p. 321.
^BV 239 comp. after 1892? acc. Kindermann (1980) (cited in Roberge, 1991, p. 31)
^BV 243: ded. Henri Petri, violinist, the father of Egon Petri, a pupil and later an important colleague of Ferruccio Busoni. (Dent, 1933, p. 68)
^BV244 first performed on 30 September 1898 at the Musikinstitut, Helsinki. Viktor Nováček. violin; Busoni, piano. (Beaumont, 1985, p. 53)
^BV 247a, arr. from BV 247, is a short passage for linking the end of the fourth movement to the fifth movement so that the chorus is omitted. (Roberge, 1991, p. 32)
^BV 247a MS in possession of the conductor and pianist Daniell Revenaugh. (Beaumont, 1985, p. 368)
^BV 247a: Busoni later changed his mind about this version of the concerto. (Letter to Edward J. Dent, 30 May 1921 in Beaumont, 1987, p.336.) BV 247a remains unpublished. (Beaumont, 1987, p. 93n)
^BV 248 original title: Suite aus der Musik zu Gozzi's Märchendrama Turandot [Suite from the Music to Gozzi's Fairy Tale Drama Turandot] (Beaumont, 1985, p.76)
^ abcBV 248 instrumentation: 3 flutes (piccolo), 3 oboes (English horn), 3 clarinets (bass clarinet), 3 bassoons (contrabassoon); 4 horns, 4 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba; timpani, percussion (glockenspiel, triangle, tambourine, covered drum, bass drum, tam-tam); 2 harps; chorus: female (unison) ad lib.; strings. BV 248a and b instrumentation: as for BV 248 except without chorus.
^BV 248 first performed 21 October 1905 at the Beethovensaal, Berlin with Busoni as the conductor. (Beaumont, 1985, p.76)
^BV 248a first performed 26 October 1911 at the Deutsches Theater, Berlin with the Bösendorfer Orchestra conducted by Oskar Fried. (Beaumont, 1985, p.76)
^BV 248b first performed 13 January 1921 at the Philharmonie, Berlin with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Busoni. (Beaumont, 1985, p.76)
^BV250 dates of composition from Kindermann (1980), cited in Roberge, 1991, p. 33.
^BV250 MS: location of sketches not given by Roberge (1991).
^BV 252a complete title: Berceuse élégiaque Op. 42. Des Mannes Wiegenlied am Sarge seiner Mutter [The man's cradle-song at his mother's bier.] Poesie [Poem] for small orchestra.
^BV 252a: This poem appears before the music:
Schwingt die Wiege des Kindes
Schwankt die Wiege seines Schicksals
Schwindet der Weg des Lebens
Schwindet hin in die ewigen Fernen
[So swings the cradle of the child
Sways the cradle of his fate
Fades away the path of life
Fades away into the everlasting distance]
^BV 255 complete title: Große Fuge. Kontrapunktische Fantasie über Joh. Seb. Bach's letztes unvollendetes Werk [Great Fugue. Contrapuntal Fantasy over Joh. Seb. Bach's last unfinished work (The Art of Fugue)]
^BV256 complete title: Fantasia Contrappuntistica. Preludio al corale "Gloria al Signore nel Cieli' e Fuga a quattro soggetti obbligati sopra un frammento di Bach. [Contrapuntal Fantasy. Chorale prelude "Allein Gott in der Höh' sei Ehr" ("God alone is honored in the highest") and fugue with four obbligato subjects on a fragment by Bach]
^BV 256a (edizione minore) original title: Choral-Vorspiel und Fuge über ein Bachsches Fragment (Der "Fantasia contrappuntistica" kleine Ausgabe) [Chorale prelude and fugue on a fragment by Bach (Minor edition of the "Contrapuntal Fantasy")]
^BV 256b (2 piano version) original title: Fantasia Contrappuntistica. Choral-Variationen über "Ehre sei Gott in der Höhe" gefolgt von einer Quadrupel-Fuge über ein Bachsches Fragment [Contrapuntal Fantasy. Chorale variations on "Honored be God in the highest" followed by a quadruple fugue on a Bach fragment]
^BV 258 complete title: Die Brautwahl. Musikalisch-fantastische Komödie nach E. T. A. Hoffmann. [The Bridal Choice. Musical-fantastical comedy after E. T. A. Hoffmann.]
^BV 265 published as a facsimile of the MS in Zeitschrift für Musik, 99 no. 12, Dec 1932, p. 1095. (Roberge, 1991, p. 37)
^BV 267 complete title: Indianisches Tagebuch. Erstes Buch. Vier Klavierstudien über Motive der Rothäute Amerikas. [Indian Diary. First Book. Four piano studies on motives by the American Redskins.]
^ abAlbert Biolley was an accomplished amateur flute player. He was also a Zurich banker, who gave the Busoni family critical financial assistance, including loans and possibly outright gifts, when they lived in Zurich during the First World War. (Beaumont, 1985, p. 238)
^BV 287 pub. Universal Edition, Vienna, 1921 (as supplement to Musikblätter des Anbruch 3 nos. 1/2, Jan 1921. Later by B&H, 1922.
^BV 288 first performed 13 January 1921 at the Philharmonie, Berlin with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Ferruccio Busoni. (Beaumont, 1985, p. 281)
^ abcBV 289 comprises three pieces (Beaumont, 1985, p. 281):
Erstes Blatt [First Leaf]; comp. Aug 1917; pub. B&H, 1918, EB 5056, plate number 28172; dur. 3 min; ded. Albert Biolley; for other versions, see BV 248b, BV 272, and BV 272a.
Zweites Blatt [Second Leaf]; comp. Apr 1921; MS: SB; dur. 1 min; ded. Francesco Ticciati
Drittes Blatt [Third Leaf]; comp. May 1921; MS: SB; dur. 4 min; ded. Felice Boghen
^BV 292 first performed in Paris in 1922 with orchestra and Ferruccio Busoni, piano (Dent, 1933, p. 322)
^ abBV 294 text: "So fern ihr Euch gern mit den alten Historien befasset" (Ferruccio Busoni) ["As far as you would like to occupy yourselves with the old histories"].
BV 294 was a new version of [The Ballad of Lippold the Jew-coiner] from the opera Die Brautwahl (BV 258) and was intended as Op. 55 no. 1, a companion piece to Zigeunerlied (BV 295). Beaumont tells the story as follows: "The vision of the lonely Wandering Jew still haunted him [Busoni]. He wrote a new introductory recitative which includes the following lines:
Two hundred and fifty years later the story is taken up once more in the light-hearted play of the Brautwahl. The old man turns up once again: his activities expand in Berlin today as maitre de finances procurer and forger, as blustering monster-
Busoni was simply implying a continuation of the ageless fairy-tale into modern times. Unfortunately Wilhelm Guttmann, the baritone for whom the piece was written, viewed matters more prosaically and declared that the text was anti-Semitic. Certainly for anyone unacquainted with the composer's private world of myth and make-believe, it appears so. Guttmann resolutley refused to sing the ballad, and it remains to this day unpublished and unperformed. 'Strano mondo', wrote Busoni to Dent, 'sorprendente mentalità. Oremus.' ['Strange world, surprising mentality. Let us pray.'] [*Letter to Edward Dent, 30 August 1923]" (Beaumont, 1985, p. 136)
^BV 295 first performed 27 April 1921 at the Philharmonie, Berlin, with Wilhelm Guttman, baritone, and the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Werner Wolff.
^BV 295a pub. Berlin, 1923 as music supplement to Die Musik 15, no. 8 (May 1923). B&H, Leipzig, undated, DLV 4788. Later as no. 5 of Fünf Goethelieder, B&H, Wiesbaden, 1964, EB 6461. (Beaumont, 1985, p. 281; Roberge, 1991, p. 43)
^BV 296 (1923 edition) comprises 5 pieces: in E minor, A minor, D minor, G major, and C minor. (Roberge, 1991, p. 43)
^BV 296 MS: Property of the pianist and conductor Daniell Revenaugh; a further MS of the 2nd piece in the Galston-Busoni collection. University of Tennessee, Knoxville. (Beaumont, 1985, p. 295)
^BV 296 pub. B&H, 1923, EB 5240, plate number 29025; also incorporated in the Klavierübung, Vol 9 (2nd edition), B&H, 1925; republished with Preludietto from Book 1 of the Klavierübung, 1st edition, as "Six short pieces for the cultivation of part-playing," with BV 296 as nos. 2-6, B&H, Wiesbaden, 1954, EB 6205. (Beaumont, 1985, p. 295)
^BV 296 first performed: (nos. 1-3 only) 18 August 1923 at the Deutsches Nationaltheater in Weimar by Egon Petri, piano (Beaumont, 1985, p. 295)
^BV 297 MS: University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and Stiftung Rychenberg, Winterthur. (Beaumont, 1985, p. 295)
^BV 297 pub. Heugel, Paris, 1923, H 28,336 [Rare] (Beaumont, 1985, p. 295)
^BV 297 first performed on 18 August 1923 at the Deutsches Nationaltheater in Weimar by Egon Petri, piano (Beaumont, 1985, p. 295)
^BV 298 pub. B&H, Wiesbaden,1960, MS. (Beaumont, 1985, p. 282)
^BV 298a pub. Navigare Necesse est: eine Festgabe für Anton Kippenburg zum zweiundzwanzigsten Mai 1924, Inselverlag, Leipzig, 1924; republished B&H, Wiesbaden, 1960 (Wb. 417), and 1964. (Roberge, 1991, p. 44, and Beaumont, 1985, p. 282)
^BV 299 pub. B&H, Wiesbaden, 1964, as no.1 of Fünf Goethe Lieder, EB 6461 (Beaumont, 1985, p. 251)
^BV 299 arr. for orchestra by Philipp Jarnach (1938), pub. B&H, Wiesbaden, 1964; instrumentation: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons; 2 horns, 2 trumpets, 2 trombones; timpani; strings. (Beaumont, 1985, p. 251)
^Appendix, no. 2: Music for Gozzi's "Turandot"
First performance: Berlin, Deutsches Theater, 26 October 1911
Arr: Theater orchestra: John Wijsman (prepared for the 1913 London production) (unpub.)
Ref: Beaumont, p. 368; Roberge, p. 45.
^Appendix, no. 4: Nachtrag zu Turandot
MS: SB332: Nachtrag to Turandot - "Diese Zeichen von Trauer"
SB333: Nachtrag to Turandot - (sketches)
B&H, Wiesbaden (copy of SB MS)
Ref: Beaumont, pp. 371; Sitsky, p. 377.
^Appendix, no. 8: 'Ich hab' gesucht und nichts gefunden'
MS: (location not ascertained)
Pub: Facsimile of MS (Herrmann, Joachim, ed. (1956). Ferruccio Busoni: Wesen und Einheit der Musik. Berlin-Hallensee: Max Hesses Verlag. p. ix)
Ded: Philipp Jarnach
Note: A three part chorus composed in answer to a letter from Philipp Jarnach requesting information about an 18th-century composer.
Ref: Beaumont, p. 372; Roberge, p. 46.
Kindermann, Jürgen (1980). Thematisch-chronologisches Verzeichnis der musikalischen Werke von Ferruccio B. Busoni. Studien zur Musikgeschichte des 19. Jahrhunderts,. Vol. 19. Regensburg: Gustav Bosse Verlag. ISBN3-7649-2033-5.
Meerwein, Georg, ed. (1992). Ferruccio Busoni: Early Character Pieces for Clarinet and Piano (Urtext edition) (Media notes). Munich: G. Henle Verlag. ISMN 979-0-201-80467-5.
Prinz, Ulrich (1970). Ferruccio Busoni als Klavierkomponist. Stuttgart: Polyphoto Dr. Vogt. Originally PhD diss. Ruprecht-Karl-Universität, Heidelberg. (Cited in Beaumont, 1985, p. 384; Roberge, 1991, pp. xi, 309; Sitsky, 2008, p. 402.).
Schnapp, Friedrich (1928). Katalog der im Nachlaß vorhandeden Musik-Manuskripte Ferruccio Busonis, 1873-1924. Typescript. Berlin State Library, Busoni Archive. (Cited in Beaumont, 1985, p. 355; Roberge, 1991, pp. xi, 143.).
Seising, Rudolf (2007). The Fuzzification of Systems: the Genesis of Fuzzy Set Theory and Its Initial Applications - Developments up to the 1970s. Berlin: Springer. ISBN978-3-540-71794-2.