Pietro Massa, Neubrandenburger Philharmonie & Stefan Malzew - Busoni: Piano Concerto in C Major, Op. 39, BV 247 (Live) (2018)

My interest in Ferruccio Busoni’s Concerto for Piano and Orchestra with Male Choir in C-Major op. 39 is based above all on a biographical background that links me with the composer. His memorial in Berlin in a small historic graveyard in Friedenau, not far from my apartment, brought home to me that I, as he once did, live in Berlin—only a century later. Over the years a deep intellectual internalizing of German culture has made me consider Germany as my homeland of choice, and to rediscover my Italian roots at the same time. I never thought that such facts would provide me with an exclusive access to Busoni’s work, simply because of our shared spiritual dual-citizenship. They were, however, the decisive point of departure that inspired and formed my interpretative horizon. The Concerto in fact represents one of the works in the composer’s oeuvre that he most loved. He even considered the Piano Concerto as an ‘Italian Symphony’. In listening to it however, it is difficult not to be aware of a deep ‘German’ ambiance after the model of Bach, Beethoven and Brahms. Because of this, it is not surprising that this music is felt to be deeply European, although Busoni decided to conclude the Concerto with a hymn to Allah, calling our cultural cliches into question. The premiere of the work took place on 10 November 1904 with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra and the Choir of the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Memorial Church under the direction of Karl Muck. The solo part was played by Busoni. In an unpublished version of the concert the composer did away with the choir, in his own words, as an ‘emergency exit’, as it were.

My interest in Ferruccio Busoni’s Concerto for Piano and Orchestra with Male Choir in C-Major op. 39 is based above all on a biographical background that links me with the composer. His memorial in Berlin in a small historic graveyard in Friedenau, not far from my apartment, brought home to me that I, as he once did, live in Berlin—only a century later. Over the years a deep intellectual internalizing of German culture has made me consider Germany as my homeland of choice, and to rediscover my Italian roots at the same time. I never thought that such facts would provide me with an exclusive access to Busoni’s work, simply because of our shared spiritual dual-citizenship. They were, however, the decisive point of departure that inspired and formed my interpretative horizon. The Concerto in fact represents one of the works in the composer’s oeuvre that he most loved. He even considered the Piano Concerto as an ‘Italian Symphony’. In listening to it however, it is difficult not to be aware of a deep ‘German’ ambiance after the model of Bach, Beethoven and Brahms. Because of this, it is not surprising that this music is felt to be deeply European, although Busoni decided to conclude the Concerto with a hymn to Allah, calling our cultural cliches into question. The premiere of the work took place on 10 November 1904 with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra and the Choir of the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Memorial Church under the direction of Karl Muck. The solo part was played by Busoni. In an unpublished version of the concert the composer did away with the choir, in his own words, as an ‘emergency exit’, as it were. Pietro Massa

Tracklist:
01. Piano Concerto in C Major, Op. 39, BV 247: I. Prologo e introito. Allegro, dolce e solenne (Live)
02. Piano Concerto in C Major, Op. 39, BV 247: II. Pezzo giocoso. Vivacemente, ma senza fretta (Live)
03. Piano Concerto in C Major, Op. 39, BV 247: III. Pezzo serioso. Andante sostenuto, pensoso (Live)
04. Piano Concerto in C Major, Op. 39, BV 247: IV. All'Italiana. Vivace (Live)
05. Piano Concerto in C Major, Op. 39, BV 247: V. Cantico. Largamente e più moderato (Live)