Busoni plays his own La Campanella arrangement [Sheet Music Comparison]

[@careyhendersonvocalstudios5429]

Weird... the majority of this is actually unchanged, or slightly simplified. The main changes he made are primarily related to execution (e.g., distributing certain runs between both hands where the original had them played with one). I'd hesitate to even call this an "arrangement" to be honest.

[@melonica90]

Agreed tbh

[@Tizohip]

No. He changes much things

[@dark6.63E-34]

It sounds like he was more having fun with it instead of having made his "own version"

[@SosukeAizen-c4g]

Not really it just sounds that way maybe​@@Tizohip

[@rand503]

The pedaling is very clear and effectively builds and then pulls back in ways I've never heard from other pianists.

[@LuisKolodin]

Idil Biret. and that's my model of pedaling.

[@yat_ii]

It took me embarrassingly long to work out what was going on with the sheet music

[@melonica90]

lol description

[@leonardohenrique6878]

Same here 😂😂😂

[@jjmcoupebmw6557]

A reasonable tempo... how refreshing.. Almost playable.

[@bevengersio]

Mans really made a variation on a variation. Crazy.

[@SCRIABINIST]

That’s Busoni for you.

[@brianbernstein3826]

Busoni’s favorite Beyonce song “Lemme Upgrade Ya”

[@empireentertainmentevents1353]

Strangely, I very much prefer the original version. The original is perfect on its own.

[@Paganini-Liszt]

There's another version of Busoni La Campanella where he used both the 1838 and 1851 version and added more stuff.

[@melonica90]

interesting. can you give me some source or link?

[@Paganini-Liszt]

@@melonica90 I don't know any other La Campanella that Busoni performed, but the other version has a sheet music video and was played by John Ogdon. The reply that I made probably got auto deleted because of a link.

[@srothbardt]

Good heavens! It’s like being stabbed in the ear by all that banging of high notes.

[@CarmenReyes-em9np]

Exelente arreglo de Bussoni ,es la que aprendí. ❤

[@ciriuflus]

this arrangement really makes you hate e flat after a while

[@MonWonWaWoi]

When it comes to musicality, Liszt's version is still way better than this... as well as his own previous version of the etude, of course, in my opinion

[@theoperot]

D sharp😉

[@joeltangjerd2828]

F double flat

[@joey-schmoey]

​@@joeltangjerd2828 Just say E hurr durr 😡😡😡

[@Cheesep_]

The pianist played it dry and chunky, but they still made it sound good

[@SCRIABINIST]

It’s a piano roll so it’s not 100% representative of Busoni’s playing. But he does play very clearly

[@mikesmovingimages]

I think it's fun to hear performers take chances with music and do their own take. It's like watching a sport - will he get away with it? I heard Cameron Carpenter spend nearly 30 minutes paraphrasing Bach organ works in concert. An amazing experience that in lesser hands would have failed as pretention, parody or just bad taste. But he has that unknown quality that lifts a few artists to another realm - he can do it. Marc-Andre Hamelin can do it, as can Jeremy Denk to some extent. There are surely others. So could Busoni. Taking lesser works like this one and rearranging is perfectly fine in my book. La Campanella is beloved, but it is not the deepest musical work in the rep. Whosever works you think you can re-imagine with your creativity, verve and audacity, and walk the tightrope without falling off, the applause is then deserved. Especially as piano performance technique, and pianos themselves, had advanced quite a bit in the decades between Liszt and Busoni.

[@leesean1794]

Incredibly great performance❤

[@s.hfredin6851]

Probably the tempo Liszt played

[@marcscratch33]

when the original isn't complicated enough:

[@Psalmanazar1]

It actually is easier in the hardest moments than the Liszt. Also he REALLY slows down at the end for some reason.

[@速小圓]

@@Psalmanazar1 Agree!

[@PhillipLWilcher]

I had the same reaction to the one I had upon hearing Godowsky's arrangements of Chopin's Etudes: Why?

[@loganm2924]

This was dedicated to Godowsky funnily enough. And Godowsky's etude arrangements were meant as technical exercises that push the techniques in Chopin's further, and develop the left hand more, hence why he didn't perform or record them. This was more just Busoni removing some of the awkwardness and adding some thicker textures to otherwise kind of empty moments in the original.

[@PhillipLWilcher]

@@loganm2924 Ah, it doesn't sit well with me I'm afraid, whatever the justification. I am aware of the reason behind Godowsky's arrangements of the Chopin Etudes. I very much doubt that Chopin would have approved of them, where the resonance of the original etudes as he wrote them, are entirely commensurate with their content, and especially texturally, to leave little else to the imagination. To that, neither am I sure that Liszt would approve of Busoni adding to, or taking away from "La Campanella" as it was originally written, beyond the novel effect. I would think that any composer worth their weight, as were Chopin and Liszt innovative in their art to have extended the capabilities of the piano well beyond the means of their time into our own - and believe me, that was no small feat not by any measure - would frown upon such a venture to perhaps suggest that both Godowsky and Busoni should leave well enough alone, and write their own etudes addressing the needs they assumed were left wanting, why not! That's a decidedly fair call. But that's just might thought on the matter. I'm a bit odd that way, I will admit it. I shy away from the show-pony of it all. I guess too, the older I get the simpler I become, and it's likely during my formative years as a musician I probably would have reveled in it a little. Maybe. Ha! Blessings!

[@CarmenReyes-em9np]

Gracias a Bussoni.

[@BaronPiano]

Though Busoni is great with no doubt, it just seems that there was nothing much he could do after Liszt’s arrangement.

[@AlbertoCasado86]

To be honest, i think the original (both versions) are way better than this one

[@nasirferguson4098]

yeah its a rare busoni fail

[@nimagarthe]

I would not say Busonis Version is better, but I really like it. Especially the end and some other parts. Listen to Traums version. He acually played it better than Busoni himselve in my opinion.

[@gayusschwulius8490]

Yep, Busoni made many great things, but this one is honestly not that good.

[@gtd9536]

If it's Busoni actually playing, I think he does a bad job at interpreting his own variation. I think this variation would sound wonderful in the hands of a better pianists. At times it sounded like the recording was just glitching.

[@peterchan6082]

I most definitely prefer Busoni's modification over Liszt's original transcription. It is more economical yet more sparkling. But why is there a blurred part starting from 1:42 ? I know something is missing. Can't trick me because I've been playing this version in public recitals years ago.

[@donaldaxel]

Is it Busoni on a piano roll? It is nice, but I can't get over that Valentina Lisitsa plays some of the repeating upper notes as if she loves to be able to do it - fast! - (and yes she looks as if it is easy for her.)

[@thedesolatemusic]

very nice

[@kuba550]

Original Campanella was too easy for Busoni

[@rand503]

It's interesting that he is not playing at the traditional breakneck speed.

[@Sparsha-ij8rr]

Бузони очень чисто играет. Это улучшенный звук записи? Просто в те времена невозможно было такую запись без шумов сделать

[@melonica90]

improved yes

[@Pseudify]

I’d like to hear this version played by Lang Lang or Wang.

[@brettowen7174]

Fail to see the point of this arrangement.

[@christophedevos3760]

Is this a piano roll recording?

[@melonica90]

Idk. Here's an link of original audio. It may help you to find out kzbin.info/www/bejne/l3S0pmB4Yrhkr9ksi=GRaDm6cpEVkwpKV6

[@christophedevos3760]

@@melonica90 Thanks. Indeed, the piano roll recordings, very interesting. I don't know if there are other recordings on gramophone of any kind, but this gives a very good impression what an incredible pianist he must have been. Thank you for uploading.

[@zugzwang2007]

@@christophedevos3760 There are recordings of Busoni, though not this piece. Although he apparently disliked the recording process (still acoustic in 1920, and direct onto wax with no edits) Busoni on record sounds much more interesting and lifelike than this piano roll, particularly in relation to phrasing and rubato.

[@christophedevos3760]

@@zugzwang2007 it's possible, but it was also a painstaking process to produce a 'live recorded' piano roll. I don't know the recordings on gramophone, I will check it out.

[@michaelm5926]

@@christophedevos3760 How exactly did you find out it is a piano roll recording? Maybe the Busoni version is "easier" because of the use for piano roll recording, which wasn't as good and capable of something recording in a fast pace (Allegretto, or even faster)

[@virginiavaleri2559]

Madonna che difficile!! 😮😮è più bella questa versione: più moderna

[@Kyujar.png49]

nice try, that aint busoni playing 😅, honestly that one passage full of trills was simplyfied, neverless quite a good arrangement

[@hoopyding]

it is, actually, as recorded to a piano roll, meaning every gesture and tempo are his. It's like making a 3D print of music. If his finger even brushed a key it is recorded to the piano roll. This is a lift of teh Nimbus of the Busoni piano rolls.

[@Kyujar.png49]

@@hoopyding Just realized this now. So what your saying is this is his piano roll but played on a modern piano with a playback system?

[@theenglishalpinist5031]

Pointless. Campanella didn't need another arrangement, it was written to demonstrate difficulty by the master in the first place, but with maximim panache and puanistic artistry. This clunking difficulty for the show of it is exactly what turns prople off classical music.

[@hape3862]

You don't know who Ferruccio Busoni was, do you?

[@daigreatcoat44]

I think choosing to play a piece more slowly than usual is an interpretative choice which often works well. Reinbert de Leeuw's Satie is a good example, I think.

[@marinadela1361]

Waaaaaaay too slow come on !!!

[@bartwatts1921]

It’s not remotely slow. It’s also not always about crazy fast tempo.

[@ustadspencertracy7195]

It is called rubato

[@Brian-mq4wb]

Speed isn't everything! If I am to be honest, this is quite a bit faster than how I like to take this piece. The idea that everything has to be virtuosically fast and badly interpreted is the reason why I don't go to many concerts nowadays...

[@chrisoconnor9521]

Ridiculous comment.

[@cosainsegnarealmentelatorr4532]

Bravo!!​@@Brian-mq4wb

[@angelobonacci461]

Credo che alla fine nonostante abbia voluto mettere qualcosa in più sia comunque una semplificazione della versione del 53 di Listz, figuriamoci la versione di Listz del 38, molto più difficile,forse tiene botta ma non del tutto la trascrizione di hamelin