Bach - Piano Transcriptions, Vol. 2 - Ferruccio Busoni (Demidenko)

1 Fantasia   (Movement 1 of Fantasia in C minor, BWV906)  [3'32] 
2 Adagio in G major BWV968  [4'19]  
3 Fugue   (Movement 2 of Fantasia in C minor, BWV906)  [4'08]  
4 Komm, Gott Schöpfer, Heiliger Geist BWV667  [1'59]  
5 Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme BWV645  [3'07] 
 
Little Prelude and Fugue in E minor BWV533  
6 Movement 1: Prelude  [2'59]
7 Movement 2: Fugue  [3'10]

Prelude and Fugue in D major BWV532 
8 Movement 1: Prelude  [6'52]
9 Movement 2: Fugue  [5'47]

10 Herr Gott, nun schleuss den Himmel auf BWV617  [2'24]  
11 Durch Adams Fall ist ganz verderbt BWV637/705  [7'11]  
12 In dir ist Freude BWV615  [2'31]  
13 Jesus Christus, unser Heiland BWV665  [5'00]  
14 Ciaccona   (Movement 5 of Partita No 2 in D minor, BWV1004)  [16'56]


Nikolai Demidenko – piano

Following the success of Nikolai Demidenko's first disc of Busoni's transcriptions of Bach (CDA66566), here he completes the project. Busoni developed an individual approach to re-casting Bach's organ works for the piano, and utilizes a full range of sonorities to recreate the sound and effects of the organ. These transcriptions were so popular during Busoni's lifetime that his wife was once introduced by a society patron as Mrs Bach-Busoni!

This disc includes several lesser-known chorale preludes, the imposing Chaconne (originally for solo violin, although Busoni views it very much as another organ transcription), the D major Prelude and Fugue BWV532, and two rarities—the E minor Prelude and Fugue (BWV533) that Busoni used to illustrate his transcription techniques in the appendix to his edition of Bach's Das wohltemperirte Clavier, and the Fantasie, Adagio and Fugue, which is a hybrid work conjoining two Bach keyboard works (two thirds of the fugue is entirely by Busoni, as Bach left it unfinished).

Nikolai Demidenko conjures a magnificent sound from his Fazioli piano, and draws on his unique palette of instrumental colour. Anyone who has heard his first Bach-Busoni disc will want this follow-up. This disc is also part of a new Hyperion series exploring the wealth and diversity of piano transcriptions of Bach. --- Charles Hopkins, hyperion-records.co.uk

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