Praise for Svetlana Belsky, “Busoni as Pianist”

Busoni as Pianist, by Grigory Kogan,
translated and annotated by Svetlana Belsky.
Boydell & Brewer, Inc. 2010
www.boydellandbrewer.com; 197 pp., $75.00.

 

This book is a gem. It brings to life, through countless quotes, anecdotes and actual musical examples, the work of the legendary pianist, Ferruccio Busoni. We owe an enormous debt to Svetlana Belsky for translating the original 1964 Russian monograph by Soviet pianist, Grigory Kogan.

 

Organized chronologically, the book, despite its brevity, details Busoni’s approach to technique, tone color, interpretation, transcription and composition. Each short chapter details a particular facet of Busoni’s work, and the helpful table of contents allows the reader to search for specific information, while the lengthy bibliography affords ample opportunity for further research. Continue reading