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Busoni Piano Concerto, Op. 39, Prologo

by Jeff Martin (Maximos)

This is the opening movement of a favourite piece of music, the sprawling, grandiloquent, and yes, in the end, despairing Busoni Piano Concerto. It may not measure up to the magnificence of, say, Beethoven's Fourth Piano Concerto, but it is assuredly an eloquent and stirring summons to contemplation - of the remorseless passage of historical time, the disappearance of great civilizations, and our efforts to hold on to some portion of their achievements.

Posted by Jeff Martin (Maximos) on August 31, 2009 12:14 PM | Del.icio.us |
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Comments (7)

Has Maximos supplanted Burton's position at W4 as resident classical music aficionado?

At any rate, more posts like this please. Need to expand my deplorably narrow repertoire. Thanks.

Posted by aristocles | August 31, 2009 2:12 PM

Supplanted? Not at all. I've always been an aficionado, and will probably try to put up a few of these each month, even though I lack the expertise required to produce my own Youtube clips.

Posted by Maximos | August 31, 2009 2:54 PM

Thanks for this, Jeff. It's a work I'm unfamiliar with and I'll have to check it out.

The piano concerto is not a form I know well, although I do have some favorites: Brahms No.1, Beethoven 4 & 5, Schumann, both Chopins, and Paderewski.

Posted by Rob G | August 31, 2009 10:22 PM

Thanks, Maximos.

The piano concerto is not a form I know well, although I do have some favorites

Tchaikovsky No. 1 is a personal favorite of mine, I humbly recommend it.

Posted by Zach | September 1, 2009 12:18 AM

I just finished two original pieces with an opera singer in the studio. Both sacred. One, a Christmas Carol, the other an Aria on faith.

I wish I could put the links here so they click through but go to these urls (and rate them if you like) at Amaze.fm:

http://amaze.fm/artist/johnmark7/waiting-is-the-agony/

http://amaze.fm/artist/johnmark7/he-is-born/

Comments are welcome, and even Aris, baby, can take his licks at me.

Posted by mark butterworth | September 1, 2009 4:35 AM

How about that? They are click through links. Great.

Posted by mark butterworth | September 1, 2009 4:36 AM

Oh yes, if anyone is interested in a few compositions that are polyphonic in a modern baroque way, you can go to these YouTubes of mine:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kdlZWr9ppY0&feature=channel_page

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZlyX_hqCTI&feature=channel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HrN4np4ddrk&feature=channel

I've been listening to some contemporary music, choral and instrumental that my opera singer directed me to, and I have to say that I'm out of the current mainstream - to the point that I might be considered anachronistic and atavistic in my compositions.

I'm not using electronic instruments, techno rhythms, spacey vocals (but I could since I know how). I prefer to keep things more pure and simple. Bach without trying to imitate him.

I did try to get one of the contributors to W4 to listen and link to the music, but I never heard from him. I thought a conservative Christian composing serious music might be something to look at, but then, I would, wouldn't I?

Anyway, see if you like it. I defy anyone to write melodic, polyphonic music that doesn't sound like Bach or Handel to give it a try.

Posted by mark butterworth | September 1, 2009 4:46 AM

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