Busoni: Songs (2006)

Once in awhile Naxos drops an unexpected bonus into the basket, and Ferruccio Busoni: Songs is just such a delight. It consists of 18 lieder rendered by expert Swiss baritone Martin Bruns of which the first 12 were all written before Busoni reached the age of 20. The early songs are suffused with the bloom of youth and, while not technically transparent, shows that the adolescent Busoni was no mere scribbler but capable of writing expressive and exciting music. The jewel in the crown of this collection is a ballad of which ... Read More

Once in awhile Naxos drops an unexpected bonus into the basket, and Ferruccio Busoni: Songs is just such a delight. It consists of 18 lieder rendered by expert Swiss baritone Martin Bruns of which the first 12 were all written before Busoni reached the age of 20. The early songs are suffused with the bloom of youth and, while not technically transparent, shows that the adolescent Busoni was no mere scribbler but capable of writing expressive and exciting music. The jewel in the crown of this collection is a ballad of which Othmar Schoeck would have been envious, Des Sänger's Fluch, Op. 39, a sort of mini opera for solo singer that tells a complete and tragic tale in about 18 minutes; it was composed when Busoni was 12. Among the other earlier songs, Bin ein fahrender Gesell deserves special mention owing to its stimulating and catchy tarantella rhythm, and "Un organetto suona per la via" stands out by virtue of the sheer beauty of the piano part. The later songs, some of which relate directly to... Read Less