Canon
Where to start with Busoni
Essential works to know this composer by — spread across their styles-
OrchestralBerceuse élégiaque, op. 42, KiV 252
-
StageDoktor Faust — Opera
-
KeyboardFantasia contrappuntistica no. 1, KiV 256
-
Vocal2 Songs for Baritone and Small Orchestra, op. 49, KiV 277-8
-
Chamber4 Bagatelles for Violin and Piano, op. 28, KiV 229
-
OrchestralPiano Concerto in C major, op. 39, KiV247
-
OrchestralViolin Concerto in D major, op. 35a
-
Keyboard2 Cadenzas for Mozart's Piano Concerto no. 20 in D minor, KiV B7
-
Keyboard2 Dance Pieces, op. 30a, KiV 235a
-
Keyboard24 Preludes, op. 37, KiV 181
-
Keyboard3 Albumblätter, KiV 289
-
Keyboard3 Ballet Scenes as Concert Waltzes, op. 33a, KiV 238
-
Keyboard3 Ballet Scenes, op. 20, KiV 209
-
Keyboard3 Morceaux, op. 4-6, KiV 197
-
Keyboard5 Pieces, op. 3
Listening guide
Hand-curated paths into Busoni's catalogueMost Popular
-
Chaconne (transcription of Bach Partita No. 2)
-
Turandot Suite
-
Piano Concerto in C major, Op. 39
-
Indian Fantasypiano and orchestra
-
Berceuse élégiaque
Most Acclaimed
-
Fantasia contrappuntisticaBach’s unfinished fugue completed and extended into a 30-minute labyrinth
-
Doktor Faustunfinished opera — his life’s work
-
Piano Concerto with male choir in the finale
-
Sonatina No. 2 ”quasi una toccata”
-
Elegies (7 pieces for piano)
Most Weird
-
Sonatina No. 6 ”Carmen Fantasia”Bizet completely deranged
-
Toccatapiano — three movements, each stranger than the last
-
An die Jugend4 piano pieces from a different planet
-
Sonatinas Nos. 3, 4, 5each a separate experiment — No. 5 is after Gozzi
-
Via Crucisorgan and chorus — bare, proto-Pärt, written in 1914
Similar composers
Same era, overlapping styles — by genre & period affinityWorks 105
- Orchestral
- Berceuse élégiaque, op. 42, KiV 252
- Piano Concerto in C major, op. 39, KiV247
- Violin Concerto in D major, op. 35a
- Concertino for Clarinet and Small Orchestra, op. 48, KiV276
- Die Brautwahl, op. 45, KiV 261
- Divertimento for Flute and Orchestra in B flat major, op. 52, KiV285
- Gesang vom Reigen der Geister, op. 47, KiV 269, "Indian Diary Book 2"
- Indian Fantasy, for piano and orchestra, op. 44, KiV264
- Konzertstück, for piano and orchestra, op. 31a, KiV236
- Lustspielouvertüre, op. 38, KiV 245, "Comedy Overture"
- Nocturne Symphonique, op. 43, KiV 262
- Rondo arlecchinesco, op. 46
- Sarabande and Cortège, op. 51, KiV 282
- Symphonische Suite, op. 25
- Tanzwalzer, op. 53, KiV 288
- Turandot Suite, op. 41, KiV 248
- Zweites Orchestersuite, op. 34a, KiV 242, "Geharnische Suite"
- Stage
- Doktor Faust — Opera
- Arlecchino, KiV270, op. 50
- Turandot, BV273 — Opera
- Keyboard
- Fantasia contrappuntistica no. 1, KiV 256
- 2 Cadenzas for Mozart's Piano Concerto no. 20 in D minor, KiV B7
- 2 Dance Pieces, op. 30a, KiV 235a
- 24 Preludes, op. 37, KiV 181
- 3 Albumblätter, KiV 289
- 3 Ballet Scenes as Concert Waltzes, op. 33a, KiV 238
- 3 Ballet Scenes, op. 20, KiV 209
- 3 Morceaux, op. 4-6, KiV 197
- 5 Pieces, op. 3
- 6 Etudes, op. 16, KiV 203
- 6 Stücke, op. 33b, KiV 241
- An die Jugend, KiV 254
- Canto e Valse, KiV deest
- Das calvarium, for piano
- Elegien, K.249
- Etude en forme de variations, op. 17, KiV 206
- Fantasia contrappuntistica no. 4, KiV 256d
- Fantasie uber Motive aus Der Barbier von Bagdad von Peter Cornelius
- Finnlandische Volksweisen, op. 27
- First Ballet Scene, op. 6
- Floh-Sprung, for piano
- Indian Diary: First Book, KiV 267, "Four Studies on Motives by American Indians"
- Inno-Variato, Variations for Piano in F major, op. 12, KiV 16
- Klavier-Übung, KiV deest
- Klavierubung in 10 Books
- Kurze Stück zur Pflege des polyphonen Spiels, KiV 296
- La canzone del cacciatore in C
- Macchiette medioevali, op. 33
- Marcia funebre in C minor
- Nuit de Noël, KiV 251
- Perpetuum Mobile, for piano, op. 54, KiV 293
- Prelude and Fugue in C minor, op. 21, KiV 85
- Prélude et Etude en Arpèges, KiV 297
- Sonata in F minor, op. 20a, KiV 204
- Sonatina no. 1, KiV 257
- Sonatina no. 2, KiV 259
- Sonatina no. 3, KiV 268, "ad usum infantis"
- Sonatina no. 4, KiV 274, "in diem Nativitatis Christi MCMXVII"
- Sonatina no. 5, KiV 280
- Sonatina super Carmen no. 6, KiV 284
- Tanzwalzer, op. 53
- Theme with Variations in C major, KiV 6
- Toccata and Fugue in D minor, BWV.565
- Toccata: Preludio, Fantasia, Ciaccona, KiV 287
- Trascrizione di concerto sopra motivi dell'opera Merlin
- Una festa di villaggio, op. 9
- Vocal
- 2 Songs for Baritone and Small Orchestra, op. 49, KiV 277-8
- Album vocale, op. 30, KiV 114
- Des Sängers Fluch, op. 39, KiV 98
- Lied des Brander, KiV 299
- Lied des Mephistopheles, KiV 278a
- Lied des Unmuts, KiV 281
- Reminiscenza Rossiniana, KiV deest
- Schlechter Trost, KiV 298a
- Zigeunerlied, op. 55, no. 2, KiV 295a
- Zwei Lieder, op. 15, KiV 202
- Zwei Lieder, op. 24, KiV 216
- Zwei Lieder, op. 31, KiV 167
- Zwei altdeutsche Lieder, op. 18, KiV 207
- Chamber
- 4 Bagatelles for Violin and Piano, op. 28, KiV 229
- Albumblatt, for flute and piano, KiV 272
- Andante con moto, for clarinet and piano
- Andantino, for clarinet and piano, op. 41
- Cello Sonata in G minor, op. 34, KiV 196
- Concerto in D minor, for piano and string quartet, op. 17, KiV 80
- Duo for 2 Flutes and Piano, op. 43
- Elegie, for clarinet and piano
- Elegy in E flat major, for clarinet and piano, KiV 286
- Kleine Suite, for cello and piano, op. 23, KiV 215
- Kultaselle, 10 Variations for Cello and Piano on a Finnish Folksong, KiV 237
- Märchen, for cello and piano, KiV 123
- Novellette, for clarinet and piano
- Preludio, for clarinet and piano
- Serenade for Clarinet and Piano no. 2, op. 19
- Serenade no. 2 in C major, for clarinet and piano, op. 42
- Serenata for Cello and Piano, op. 34
- Solo dramatique, for clarinet and piano, op. 13, KiV 101
- String Quartet no. 1 in C major, op. 19
- String Quartet no. 2 in D minor, op. 26
- Stuck, for clarinet and piano
- Suite, for clarinet and piano, op. 10, KiV 88
- Variations on a 13th Century Minnesinger Song, op. 22
- Violin Sonata in C
- Violin Sonata no. 1 in E minor, op. 29, KiV 234
- Violin Sonata no. 2 in E minor, op. 36a, KiV 244