Ferruccio Busoni's transcriptions of Bach's keyboard and violin music and his fantasies after Bach's style have provoked controversy for decades and have been an impediment to a full appreciation of his place among early twentieth century composers. Indeed, two camps have emerged to either defend these piano arrangements or to disparage them as Romantic overkill; yet their purpose in Busoni's study and development is almost a footnote in his biography, and much less often illustrated. This CD hints at what Busoni gained in elaborating Bach's material, particularly in working out theories of superimposition, thematic manipulation, and formal schemes; yet without clear connections to his later compositions, his intentions remain as arguable as ever.
Andrea Padova laments in the liner notes that the mature masterpieces are not performed as often as the flashy transcriptions, so more Busoni and less Bach/Busoni might have served the pianist's case better. As it is,
Padova presents a program evenly divided between transcriptions and free fantasies, yet many listeners are unlikely to recognize the crucial differences and implications.
Padova delivers satisfying performances and presents the music with rather more understanding and taste than is usually the case. If he records a follow-up disc of the late works, then he may actually help rehabilitate Busoni's oeuvre; but this CD is only a hesitant beginning.