SYMPO SIUM COVER STORY

A TITAN ABROAD As a pianist and composer, Ferruccio Busoni bestrode the musical world like a Colossus. Yet he ba–ed many, and eluded more. Jeremy Siepmann joins seven eminent advocates to explore the challenges he posed

JEREMY SIEPMANN: Though he was WOLF HARDEN: It happened for one of the most celebrated figures of me when I was 16 and studying the his day, Busoni’s star, amazingly, is still arrangement of the Bach Chaconne. And I in the ascendant. Gathered here to too was deeply impressed. I became curious discuss him are some of his foremost about this composer-pianist-teacher-reader- – and most authoritative – champions, writer-painter. Today I’m still fascinated by from the UK (Peter Donohoe, Murray the vitality of his music, the outstanding McLachlan), the US (Garrick Ohlsson, seriousness of every note he composed Jeni Slotchiver), Germany (Wolf (nothing, even in the early pieces, is written Harden), Italy (Carlo Grante) and just to impress), and by his personal life. Canada (Marc-André Hamelin). Wolf In music, I’m fascinated by what he did Harden has recorded the complete as a teacher (his Klavierübung should be piano works, Jeni Slotchiver is well a must in every music school) and as a on her way to doing likewise, and conductor. And last but not least, I’m Carlo Grante and Murray McLachlan fascinated by the personality of the man, as play most if not all of the repertoire. I’ve learned it from the biographies and his What, then, attracts them so to Busoni letters: the man who loved to laugh (many (and while we’re at it, how did they people described him as ‘Homerian’), who get hooked)? couldn’t live without a big city and big dogs – most photos of him feature a (very JENI SLOTCHIVER: As a young musician big) dog! I was stunned by the exquisite pianistic writing, the strands of hauntingly familiar GARRICK OHLSSON: For as long as I THE PANEL (clockwise melodies, woven ghostlike throughout the can remember, I’ve been infused with the from top left): Peter Donohoe, stream-of-consciousness texture, the wealth lore and music of Busoni. I never had any Carlo Grante, Wolf of harmonic colour, the textural variety, idea that this was unusual. By the age of Harden, Garrick and the magical eects when fingers took 12, I’d played the Christmas Sonatina and Ohlsson, Jeni Slotchiver, Murray to keyboard. The writing was definitely was learning Bach from Busoni editions. McLachlan and 20th century, the emancipation of the At 13, I began to study at Juilliard with Marc-André Hamelin dissonance was obvious, but here was a the eminent Sascha Gorodnitzki, who

PETER DONOHOE © SUSSIE AHLBURG master contrapuntist as well. informed me that the Busoni-ised opening

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of Bach’s C minor Partita was completely century piano music. He talked to me a lot use of harmonic language: key structure unacceptable to 1963 jury sensibilities. about the works and writings of Busoni, and the symbolism therein, combined with However, he did have me learn the Liszt- and I became fascinated by the man and his his technique of free polyphony and free Busoni Campanella that year. I played the music. But I can’t say I was exactly hooked. tonality; the seventh is his use of borrowed Second Sonatina in 1966. And that same We ended up deciding that I would play fragments; and the last is his inventive use of year I heard the Cleveland Orchestra with the Elegies, and I’ve continued to try to like the pedals. Busoni conceals his methods of George Szell and pianist Pietro Scarpini them ever since. It was the Piano Concerto, transformation. This is an important aspect at Carnegie Hall giving what may have though, that fired my enthusiasm most of of the piano writing. The compositions been the New York premiere of the Busoni all, and still does. But I think we’re going sound timeless and the metamorphosis is Concerto. I was completely knocked out by to be talking about that later, so I won’t say invisible – startlingly so. We’re ožen not the more-than-Tchaikovsky first entrance any more about that just yet. sure how a beautiful melody has become of the piano and the ensuing virtuosity, transformed through an extreme range of beauty and over-the-top grandeur. JS: How would you describe his piano moods, and now presents a completely music to someone who didn’t know it? diŸerent emotional experience. On the MURRAY M LACHLAN: His music has subject of free polyphony, his harmony everything – and all presented with white- SLOTCHIVER: I rather like his own can sound very traditional and at the same hot integrity, nobility and truth. There’s description, from 1922: ‘My style takes time it disarms us by defining the term nothing of the charlatan here, never everyone aback. Too young for the old, ‘other-worldly’. This also accounts for the feeling of timelessness and formlessness in his compositions.

HARDEN: Like Liszt, Busoni was one of the most intelligent and successful of all piano composers: everything he wrote for the piano fits the instrument – even the transcriptions of his own works (the chamber orchestra version of the Berceuse © TULLY POTTER COLLECTION POTTER © TULLY is incredible; full of beautiful colours and touching chords. But even on the piano, it remains fascinating music). Today, most people who speak about Busoni are thinking of the later Busoni, ažer the ‘turning’ marked by the Elegies and the Second Violin Sonata. I think this isn’t helpful to an understanding of the whole Busoni. Liszt was a huge influence on the young Busoni, but more important was the influence of Brahms and, of course, Bach and Mozart. Busoni didn’t regard composition as a fixed statement – even the writing of notes, ažer all, is a transcription of ideas. That’s why anything pretentious. Just beautiful music, insušciently mindless for the young, there wasn’t so much diŸerence, for him, all the more passionate and exciting for it constitutes a clear-cut chapter in the between his ‘original’ works, his Bach (and avoiding the musical equivalent of instant disorder of our times. It will hold its other) arrangements, and the transcriptions gratification. It’s music that continues to own better, therefore, with subsequently of his own works. To get an impression of touch you, to stretch the imagination, take fluctuating later generations.’ this, I suggest everyone study the Fantasia you to spiritual and emotional heights on JS Bach, an amazing hybrid between the that are all the more elated for not having JS: I like that too. But how would you Bach cantatas and Busoni’s own expression. appeared to be there at all on first, second or describe it? This is one of the most heartbreaking pieces even third re-hearings. of music I know. SLOTCHIVER: I generally describe PETER DONOHOE: I first came across eight traits. The first three are Busoni’s McLACHLAN: You can forget about Busoni’s music in the late 1970s when I was compositional triumvirate, Bach-Mozart- classifications as we think of them for approached by a University of Birmingham Liszt; the fourth is his preoccupation with all other composers. You have to take lecturer – John CG Waterhouse – to prepare bells; the fižh covers the pre-eminence he transcriptions, performance editions, a recital programme based on Italian 20th- gives to long lyrical lines; the sixth is his ‘original compositions’ variations and even

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descriptions of Busoni’s own performances as being one and the same thing – part of ‘He spurned any short cuts. For him, the ‘oneness of music’. He wanted music art was a quasi-sacred endeavour’ to rise above egotistical classification and pigeonholing. What you get with Busoni is Murray Mclachlan similar to the visions Faust conjures up in the Parma scene of Doktor Faust; the image of Beethoven, Mozart, Liszt or Bach will be there, but it will also have the features hill, he spurned any short cuts. For him, art of all, you need to be in very good physical of Busoni. He seems to have taken the was a quasi-sacred endeavour. If you want to condition. At the end of the Toccata’s whole universe of music and used his chief be a Busoni disciple, you need to respect the ‘Preludio’, for instance, the crossover of vehicle of expression, the piano, as a means struggle he went through in order to arrive the hands spans four octaves. Even with of exploring it. where he did. long arms, it’s hard to stay in control! And an absolute must is that the hands be OHLSSON: As some colleagues have MARC-ANDRé HAMELIN: Part of the well trained in extensions. The chords are pointed out, with Busoni’s name on a answer lies in the very peculiar harmonic often spread very wide (and arpeggiation, programme, you never know what style language he adopted in his later works especially in the Organ Toccata or musical language to expect. It could be (which are also his most significant). transcriptions, is strictly forbidden). Most anything from a transcription/arrangement He was constantly pushing boundaries. of his compositions are written in a very to neoclassicism to full-blown Romantic This often resulted in uneasy, unusual polyphonic style, so you need great clarity to atonality. Also, Busoni, for all his atmospheres, far from anything that to show the geometry of the music. And demonic pianism, didn’t play or compose could be reasonably described as being ‘in as Jeni has said, he was also fascinated by to the gallery. He was too advanced, too popular taste’. I find no end of fascination the use of the pedals – all three of course patrician and ‘artistic’ to write applause in this kind of language, but sometimes – and indeed, their proper use can be lines. Sometimes the public doesn’t know it puzzles even me; one example is his absolutely decisive. what to make of his enigmatic music, with Tanzwalzer, which I find perfectly charming its seriousness and frequent soft endings. until the last two pages, which for no McLACHLAN: You need to have apparent reason start exploring rather enormous hands and great dexterity for JS: Why does he remain so little known? strange areas which make, to my mind, most of the major works. You need to hold a disappointing close to an otherwise large structures together, have a huge range SLOTCHIVER: I think it bothers a lot lovely piece. of colours and be able to orchestrate as of people that Busoni didn’t belong well as to colour. If you play from memory to any school or movement, hence the JS: What are the major challenges he the polyphonic demands can make the misconception that he had ‘no discernable poses to the pianist? task very onerous. You also need great style’. He was the first formidable 20th- rhythmic discipline, and ‘lateral thinking’ century composer to inherit all styles. SLOTCHIVER: You can’t be just a with regard to choices of fingering. You His compositions are a synthesis of past pianist to interpret and perform Busoni. need to be able to ‘compose’ within the and future – and his incorporation of new He’s constantly asking us to experiment; very sparsely marked scores. Compared experiments often leaves listeners confused. to orchestrate, to investigate, to colour, with other composers, Busoni often gives to experience. A formidable physical fewer indications of dynamics, articulation HARDEN: Another problem, perhaps, technique is only the beginning. One also and so on. is the sheer length of some of his needs the visionary capacity to sense and compositions: the Piano Concerto is respond to new textures, sonorities and CARLO GRANTE: Busoni’s piano about 75 minutes, the Elegies as a cycle expressive demands. This isn’t music for writing, although ‘fitting the hand’ very last around 40 minutes, the Fantasia the athlete alone. Quiet and mysterious well, actually uses rather few keyboard Contrappuntistica 30 minutes plus. On the undulations might pose obvious problems patterns, though there are many sequences other hand, many pieces average around 10 for the hands and arms, but without a and reiterations. But the latter often span minutes or shorter, so who knows. vital imagination, they can’t convey the the 12 tones in a peculiar way, covering sheer beauty of Busoni’s compositions. diverse triadic harmonies (with apparently McLACHLAN: He certainly didn’t make Besides the obvious physical difficulties, the same contour throughout) in a short things easy for himself. He assumes that Busoni searched for a pure ‘celestial’ music, span of time. Often the texture is multi- listeners have an erudition that encompasses which could convey the feeling-state of the layered, more in terms of sonic planes knowledge of ETA Hoffmann and Bach’s ‘essence of music.’ than of pure counterpoint, but the music The Art of Fugue, and so on. He never must nevertheless sound crystal-clear and compromised. In his enormous struggle to HARDEN: Busoni forces the player to transparent. The performer’s task, rather push his proverbial boulder to the top of the extremes in every aspect of pianism. First than ‘expressing’, is to ‘convey’ ideas in a

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symbolic manner, capturing the listener’s his goal. He regarded the free, fantasia GRANTE: His mastery of form does have own intuition of what’s hidden, or hinted sections of Bach’s Organ Toccatas as among those archetypes of theme and section at, in the music. the greatest moments in all of Bach. formation typical of the German classical tradition, but some are a direct derivation JS: To what extent (and how) did he SLOTCHIVER: Busoni’s architecture had of Italian opera’s sectional organisation of expand the boundaries of virtuosity? to serve the ideas within. As he matured, arias, recitatives, and so forth. But Busoni’s the forms became increasingly economical, proportions are o–en philosophical, as McLACHLAN: In all directions! You only enabling him to say so much with so perceived subjectively by his inner eye. His need to look at the (unabbreviated) version little. That’s his genius. When he rewrote own judgement relates more, I think, to of the Klavierübung to see this, to see the his Variations on a Chopin Prelude, his conceptual proportions than metrical ones. way in which he takes already existing main revision was of the form itself. He material and adds additional exercises, condensed the material and intensified JS: The most performed and recorded new transcriptions and etudes. In terms the contrasts by changing the keys, and of all his major works is the huge of arpeggios alone, and his transcendental altering the hard, formalistic structure. concerto for piano, orchestra and male fingerings, there’s so much that’s new with Busoni. With the Fantasia Contrappuntistica, © TULLY POTTER COLLECTION for instance, we have polyphony as never before. Busoni’s late works moved virtuosity forward uniquely, by compressing it. In works such as the Perpetuum Mobile and the Third Sonatina, the athletic prowess is all the more demanding for requiring extreme economy of technique.

SLOTCHIVER: Absolutely. Perhaps the most essentially challenging aspect for the pianist is the ability to convey a vastly profound state of feeling with very few gestures. With Busoni, light compositions are shadowed, while dark compositions contain some hidden joy or serenity. In these very subtle ways, too, he expanded the boundaries of virtuosity.

HARDEN: Busoni came up with an entirely new and individual conception of piano sonority, combining a very ‘full handed’ texture – like Brahms in his Paganini Variations and Second Piano Concerto – with a Lisztian ‘technicolour’ including some amazing orchestral eŒects (the Third Elegy, for example, has a very di‘cult tremolo which comes close to a perfect illusion of strings and wind). He also demands a perfect feeling for distances: almost always, you have to control the entire keyboard. Sometimes, I think, he really reaches the outer limit of human capabilities on the piano.

JS: Could he, among many other things, be described as a master of expressive structure?

MCLACHLAN: I think that’s a very perceptive way of putting it indeed. It was

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chorus, which all of you have performed the time – more than demonstrated the century, but certainly one of its irresistible and most of you have recorded. Two Herculean hurdles that pianists are faced and stunningly impressive flawed ones. questions: how representative is this with in this vast drama. It’s a very mature of Busoni and why, as well as the most work, but also the work of a young man, JS: Busoni was a Protean figure: a multi- played, is it also the most reviled? Even with youthful excesses still notable in the faceted genius whose achievements that great Busonian Alfred Brendel has musical discourse. But I deeply loved this regularly produced stunned incredulity. described it as ‘monstrously overwritten’. monster of a piece, and I simply had to Even the most dispassionate account play it. It’s been interesting to see how it of him could arouse a measure of OHLSSON: Given what Busoni is trying divides listeners; those who love it place it suspicion, or at least circumspection. to achieve in this hyper-late-Romantic, among the greatest musical creations ever As all our guests have testified, Busoni’s Gurrelieder-Zemlinsky-Mahleresque written, while others are apt to ridicule artistic integrity was as incorruptible sprawling work, I have to disagree with what they see as hyper-bloated indulgence as his artistry was incomparable. Today, our distinguished colleague. Part of the – there’s just very little middle ground! I appropriately, we’ve concentrated mainly problem might be the gargantuan nature suspect the work has a much better chance on his art and influence as a composer of Busoni, who himself contained worlds, of succeeding in the listener’s mind if – appropriate because this is far and not the least of which is being fully and all preconceptions of a piano concerto away his greatest legacy. But for many, genuinely both Italian and German in are set aside. All five movements di–er irrespective of their response to him as a an age much less homogenised than considerably from traditional moulds, composer, he was also by a wide margin our own. I don’t see how he could have structurally speaking, and the addition the most transfiguring and illuminating written the concerto in a more modestly of a chorus in the last movement, which performer they had ever heard. His concise way and still achieved its range and more o‘en than not causes derision, was to recordings are few and unrepresentative. grandeur. The concerto is representative Busoni the only conceivable way to wrap The truest clue, however, to the of Busoni the heir of Liszt and the heir things up in a suitably meaningful way. If splendour, the nobility, the sheer of all late Romanticism, especially with the work is listened to with a symphonic immensity of his pianism lies not in the reference to the Brahms concertos, perspective rather than that of a concerto, paucity of sounds that he le us but in particularly No 2, criticised in its own it stands a much better chance and will the vast quantity of notes that he wrote. day as being overwritten; too symphonic, unobtrusively reveal its many beauties. There, and only there, do we find the too chamber-like and too much of a whole man. piano obbligato. DONOHOE: It’s a fantastically extravagant e and all-encompassing work, and I really IP is delighted to oer one lucky reader a McLACHLAN: People complain about love playing it. That said, it’s not without complimentary set of Jeni Slotchiver’s 3-CD the ‘pastiche’ nature of this huge work, is its longeurs. The third movement collection ‘Busoni the Visionary’, recorded but I always remind them to look at the is around ten minutes too long for its on the Centaur label. To be in with a chance enormous unifying force that is the piano own good, and I could very happily do of winning this fantastic series, please part! It functions not as an egotistical without the overblown and over-written email [email protected], citing barnstorming device at all, but rather central section, which goes nowhere. But ‘Busoni’ in the subject line. Good luck! as a latter-day continuo instrument. As that doesn’t detract from those uniquely it accompanies, comments, fills in and beautiful sections that surround it. weaves around textures, it presents a voice The Parsifal-style nature of the first main that’s entirely Busoni’s. And it stands as section (a‘er the long introduction) is one a unique testament to his phenomenal of the most movingly beautiful passages understanding of the instrument, and in the entire concerto repertoire. The the way in which he could move pianism opening tutti and the coda of the first forward. Look, for instance, among many movement are sublimely moving, other things, at the fantastic scale writing; the opening piano entrance is quite the amazing runs and cascades of colour. astonishingly impressive and magisterial, and the development is uniquely electric HAMELIN: I discovered the concerto in in its emotional surge and direction. But 1983. When I think back, I can easily relive the only movement about which I have my first impression of the opening tutti no reservations at all is the extraordinary and my immediate sense of wonder that fourth movement – All’Italiana. Nothing this profoundly beautiful music wasn’t in the piano concerto repertoire comes better known and played more o‘en. near it for the controlled building of Four minutes in, with the piano entrance, excitement, the sheer animal uninhibited I got a partial answer. A later examination ludicrousness of it! So, perhaps not the of the score – almost unobtainable at greatest piano concerto of the early 20th

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