Ferruccio Busoni: Piano Music vol.5 (Naxos Audio CD)

Wolf Harden (piano)

Wolf Harden’s Busoni Piano Edition has been warmly applauded for its “spacious aural frame”, “stunningly authoritative” playing, “lightness of touch and excellent phrasing” and “prestidigitatory prowess”.

This fifth volume includes Busoni’s magisterial transcription of Bach’s ‘St. Anne’ Prelude and Fugue and his inspired variations on Chopin’s famous ‘Choral’ Prelude.

These works flank two equally powerful, subtle and wide-ranging sets of shorter yet equally virtuosic works, the splendid Études and the harmonically adventurous Six Pieces.