Ferruccio Busoni was a giant, and he knew it. At the piano, he was recognised as such. As a composer, however, he was largely ignored, and known mainly as an arranger of other men’s music. A musical genius with a titanic intellect, he saw himself as a high priest, leading the way to a new age of music. Roaming from the wild west of America to the streets of Moscow, blazing trails to the future while immersed in the past, he influenced a generation he couldn’t follow, while his own generation couldn’t follow him. Audio samples are contained in the text: just tap to listen while you read.
About the Author
Jeremy Siepmann is an internationally acclaimed writer, musician, teacher and broadcaster. He has contributed articles, reviews and interviews to numerous journals and reference works (including The New Statesman, Gramophone and BBC Music Magazine). His previous books include a widely acclaimed biography of Chopin, two volumes on the history and literature of the piano, and biographies of Brahms, Mozart and Beethoven.