Description
Officially released in UK/Europe/USA: 7 September 2018
Only available on CD – not available on any digital platform
FHR Remasters
Pietro Scarpini piano
Bavarian Radio Choir
Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra / Rafael Kubelík
Ferruccio BUSONI (1866-1924)
Piano Concerto
Concerto for Piano, Orchestra and Male Chorus, Op. 39
1. I. Prologo e Introito: Allegro, dolce e solenne
2. II. Pezzo giocoso: Vivacemente, ma senza fretta
3. IIIa. Pezzo serioso: Introductio: Andante sostenuto, pensoso –
4. IIIb. Prima Pars: Andante, quasi adagio –
5. IIIc. Altera Pars: Sommessamente –
6. IIId. Ultima Pars: a tempo
7. IV. All’Italiana (Tarantella): Vivace; In un tempo
8. V. Cantico: Largamente (with chorus)
First commercial release
Live broadcast recording (with applause excluded from the edited stereo source master) from the Herkulessaal der Residenz, Munich, Germany, 25 November 1966
Produced by Gerhard Uebele and Leonhard Nitsch
Engineered by Gisela Bruckmayer
Remastered by David Murphy (FHR) and Giampaolo Zeccara
24bit, 48kHz hi-resolution transfers and remastering
STEREO RECORDING
Press Quotes
“Historical Gems: Pietro Scarpini’s Legendary Busoni Concerto, Finally On CD – In short, an historic release that lives up to its legend and more. “ (Classics Today, Jed Distler | Artistic Quality: 10 | Sound Quality: 8)
“A slumbering giant roars back to life” – “In all, this recordings gets closer to poetic heart of this strange work than any other” (The Telegraph)
“What makes this such a good performance is not just the considerable talents of Scarpini and Kubelik but the fact that they so clearly work together, have a shared and coherent conception of the work, and are able to realize it. As a performance it seems to me equal to my benchmark, Garrick Ohlsson with Christoph von Dohnanyi, and superior to Marc-André Hamelin with Mark Elder. It is a limited edition so collectors should not hesitate.” (Musicweb International)
“Idealement sardonique, Scarpini se joue de sa difficulte demoniaque. Partout, it sidere par son aisance, son panache et un jeu d’une clarte exemplaire. Et cela en concert ! Qua nd la dance s’affole et s’exaspere en ornements infernaux (6 9′ 32″), l’orchestre scintille comme jamais. Frissons garantis. Cette version tor-rentielle beneficie de forces de la Radio bavaroise chauffees a blanc par Kubelik, attentif 6 eviter une pesanteur qui serait ici fatale. Tout est cisele, affUte, incandescent : une supernova eclate dans votre salon ! Une contribution majeure a la dis-cographie d’un createur dont les ar-rangements celebres continuent de faire de l’ombre aux compositions.” (Diapason d’Or – Diapason)
“There are maybe a hand full of recordings of this piece which makes this wonderful recording even more welcome!” (Het Parool)
“…superior historical importance. Pietro Scarpini plays the work phenomenally” (ARTAMAG – Disc of the Day)
“È anche occasione per ammirare le doti tecniche e la sicurezza del gusto di un pianista fuori del comune come Pietro Scarpini e la concertazione affascinante di Rafael Kubelik , i quali, nonostante la mastodontica architettura, rivelano un’opera chiave, singolare e aperta, alle radici della musica moderna.” ( ‘A’ – Amadeus Magazine)
“An essential purchase for all lovers of this most complex and arresting of all composers.”(Gramophone, ‘Editor’s Choice’)
“…Pietro Scarpini’s keyboard virtuosity is formidable.” (****, BBC Music Magazine)
(*****, Classic Voice)
