Grondona Ciccolini

Ferruccio Busoni composed a significant number of works for two pianos throughout his life. While Bach’s pervasive influence is already evident in some of his early compositions including the Preludio e Fuga and Capriccio, it reaches its most complex and glorious expression in the definitive 1921 version of his Fantasia contrappuntistica. In the case of Schumann’s Op. 134 for piano and orchestra, Busoni simply reduced the orchestral part for a second piano. However, his skill as a master transcriber and composer is revealed in his brilliant arrangements of Mozart’s works, which also highlight the subtlety and originality of his style.

Eight days remaining before César Franck’s awaited bicentenary! Here is a throwback to his major pieces, as Aldo Ciccolini teams up with André Cluytens in the two masterpieces for piano and orchestra, Les Djinns and the Variations symphoniques. Both were favorite works for the pianist who performed them intensely and would record again with Paul Strauss. They are coupled with a fiery version of Tchaikovsky’s concerto and feature the National Belgium Orchestra and the Paris Conservatory Orchestra.

On-going Aldo Ciccolini discography with rare recordings of Schubert, including an exquisitely rendered (complete) set of Impromptus and the “Little” A major sonata.

Vivaldi’s Sonatas for two violins, anco senza basso se piace (also without bass if preferred), represent one of the innumerable peaks of his compositional prowess. They are structured in three movements, each of which develops in a bipartite manner, making evident reference to concerto form, with only the internal bipartite structure alluding to sonata form. This distinguishes Vivaldi’s approach to the duo without bass from that of some of his European colleagues, namely Telemann (Sonates sans basse, 1727) and Leclair (Sonates à deux violons sans basse Op.3, 1730).

Iberia is a suite for piano composed between 1905 and 1909 by the Spanish composer Isaac Albéniz. It is composed of four books of three pieces each; a complete performance lasts about 90 minutes. It is Albéniz's best-known work and considered his masterpiece. It was highly praised by Claude Debussy and Olivier Messiaen, who said: "Iberia is the wonder for the piano; it is perhaps on the highest place among the more brilliant pieces for the king of instruments". Stylistically, this suite falls squarely in the school of Impressionism, especially in its musical evocations of Spain.

I bought this inexpensive collection in Paris and I play it frequently. While I enjoy more the rich depth in the Saint Saens piano collaborations of Previn/Collard (EMI) and Dutoit/Roge (London), this five (5) CD value set offers his Violin and Cello Concertos, his Carnival of the Animals, the Introduction and Rondo, and other less well known compositions. One would expect this comprehensive thoroughly enjoyable collection to be available in France where Saint Saens is honored as he is not in America.

Born in Almeria, Julián Arcas was famous as a flamenco guitarist. At the height of his career he travelled widely, including, in 1862, to Brighton, where he played for the British royal family. In later years he retired from concert life, collaborating with Antonio Torres in Almeria in the development of the guitar.