The impossible concerto
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Garrick Olhsson" "The piano part is a sea of black notes."
Link to video -
The video is on Busoni's piano concerto, C major, op. 39.
The commentator oversold the piece (happens with most YouTubers, they often oversell everything they talk about).
Technically difficult piece, yes. With moments of creative brilliance, yes. But on the whole rather disorganized, not really going anywhere, and not all that memorable.
If you're really curious about it, might as well just listen to it rather than listening to the YouTuber yammering about it. :man-shrugging:
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Interesting video. Hamelin plays like he is possessed - which he may very well be, given some of the repertoire* he has taken on and mastered like no other.
I’ll give the concerto a listen [again after 35 + years] sometime in the next week or two. Have to admit though, Busoni is one of those late Romantic/early 20 C composers I have never managed to “get into”. Not that I didn’t try either. Just leaves me stone cold.
Give me Sir Arnold Bax any day over Busoni.
- check out his Hyperion recording of Villa-Lobos’ Rude Poema
