Fantasia Contrappuntistica
Encyclopedia
Fantasia contrappuntistica is a solo piano piece composed by Ferruccio Busoni
Ferruccio Busoni
Ferruccio Busoni was an Italian composer, pianist, editor, writer, piano and composition teacher, and conductor.-Biography:...

 in 1910. Busoni created several versions of the work including several for solo piano, and one for two pianos. It has been arranged
Arrangement
The American Federation of Musicians defines arranging as "the art of preparing and adapting an already written composition for presentation in other than its original form. An arrangement may include reharmonization, paraphrasing, and/or development of a composition, so that it fully represents...

 for organ and for orchestra since the composer's death.

The work is in large part a homage to Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach was a German composer, organist, harpsichordist, violist, and violinist whose sacred and secular works for choir, orchestra, and solo instruments drew together the strands of the Baroque period and brought it to its ultimate maturity...

's Die Kunst der Fuge
The Art of Fugue
The Art of Fugue , BWV 1080, is an incomplete work by Johann Sebastian Bach . It was most likely started at the beginning of the 1740s, if not earlier. The first known surviving version, which contained 12 fugues and 2 canons, was copied by the composer in 1745...

. Conversely, Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji
Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji
Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji was an English composer, music critic, pianist, and writer.-Biography:...

's Opus clavicembalisticum
Opus Clavicembalisticum
Opus clavicembalisticum is a solo piano piece composed by Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji, completed on June 26, 1930.The piece is notable for its length and difficulty: at the time of its completion it was the longest piano piece in existence. Its duration is around four hours, depending on tempo...

appears to be a homage to Fantasia contrappuntistica. Busoni dedicated the work to Wilhelm Middelschulte
Wilhelm Middelschulte
Wilhelm Middelschulte was a German organist and composer who resided in America for most of his career.-Life:...

, "Meister des Kontrapunktes".

Plan of the work

Fantasia contrappuntistica is written in twelve parts, and takes about 25 minutes to perform:
  1. Preludio corale
  2. Fuga I
  3. Fuga II
  4. Fuga III (on B-A-C-H)
  5. Intermezzo
  6. Variazione I
  7. Variazione II
  8. Variazione III
  9. Cadenza
  10. Fuga IV
  11. Corale
  12. Stretta


The first ten pages of the introductory "Preludio corale" are nearly identical to the Third Elegy
Elegies (Busoni)
Elegies by the Italian composer Ferruccio Busoni is a set of solo piano pieces which can be played as a cycle or separately. Initially published in 1908 with six pieces, it was subsequently expanded to seven by the addition of the Berceuse...

 with a few small cuts and alterations, including the removal of all German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....

 expression marks or their translation into Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...

. In the third fugue
Fugue
In music, a fugue is a compositional technique in two or more voices, built on a subject that is introduced at the beginning in imitation and recurs frequently in the course of the composition....

, there is a returning melody composed of four notes, which are B♭, A, C, and B♮. These four notes spell Bach in German, where the H is the B♮, and are commonly known as the B-A-C-H motif
BACH motif
In music, the BACH motif is the motif, a succession of notes important or characteristic to a piece, B flat, A, C, B natural. In German musical nomenclature, in which the note B natural is written as H and the B flat as B, it forms Johann Sebastian Bach's family name...

.

Manuscripts

The manuscripts in Busoni's hand are in the Berlin State Library
Berlin State Library
The Berlin State Library is a library in Berlin, Germany and a property of the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation.-Buildings:The State Library runs several premises, three of which are open for users, namely House 1 in Unter den Linden 8, House 2 in Potsdamer Straße 33 and the newspaper archive...

 as part of the Busoni Archive.

Publication history

  • BV 255 Große Fuge
1) Title: Große Fuge. Kontrapunktische Fantasie über Joh. Seb. Bach's letztes unvollendetes Werk für Klavier ausgeführt. [Great Fugue. Contrapuntal Fantasy on Joh. Seb. Bach's Last Unfinished Work (from the "Art of the Fugue," BWV 1080), realized for piano.]
Published: New York: G. Schirmer
G. Schirmer
G. Schirmer Inc. is an American classical music publishing company based in New York City, founded in 1861. It publishes sheet music for sale and rental, and represents some well-known European music publishers in North America, such as the Italian Ricordi, Music Sales Affiliates ChesterNovello,...

, Copyright 1910, plate no. 22004, (100 copies printed privately), (39 pages).
Dedication: An Wilhelm Middelschulte Meister des Kontrapunktes
Dated (p. 39): Begonnen auf dem Dampfer "Barbarossa" um Neujahr 1910. Beendet in New Orleans am 1. März 1910. [Begun on the steamship "Barbarossa" on New Year's 1910. Finished in New Orleans on 1 March 1910.]
Notes:
1) p. 30: "Diese Zusammenstellung des Hauptthemas aus der Kunst der Fuge mit den drei vorigen Subjecten verdanke ich den Studien des Herrn Bernhard Ziehm in Chicago. F. B." ["For this combination of the main themes from the Art of the Fugue I am indebted to Mr. Berhard Ziehm in Chicago. F. B. (Ferruccio Busoni).]
2) p. 38: "Partitur-Darstellung der Durchführung auf S. 33, welche aus clavieristischen Gründen dort eingeschränkt ercheint." ["Score-representation of the execution on p. 33, which is abridged there for pianistic reasons."]
3) p. 39, the plan of the work: "Fuga I: Subject 1; Fuga II: Subject 2 und 1; Fuga III: Subject 3 und die vorigen: Intermezzo: Subject 3; Variazione 1.: Subject 1; Variazione 2: Subject 3; Variazione 3: Subject 2 and die vorigen; Cadenza: Subject 3 and 4; Fuga IV: Subject 4 and the vorigen; Stretta"
Ref: Kindermann, pp. 244-245.
2) Published: Boston: Boston Music Company, 1910
Ref: Roberge, p. 35.

  • BV 256 Fantasia contrappuntistica (edizione definitiva)
1) Title: Fantasia contrappuntistica. Preludio al Corale "Gloria al Signore nei Cieli" e Fuga a quattro obbligati sopra un frammento di Bach. Compilita per il Pianoforte. (Edizione definitiva) [Contrapuntal Fantasy. Prelude to the chorale "Glory to the Lord in Heaven" and Fugue in four obbligato
Obbligato
In classical music obbligato usually describes a musical line that is in some way indispensable in performance. Its opposite is the marking ad libitum. It can also be used, more specifically, to indicate that a passage of music was to be played exactly as written, or only by the specified...

 voices on a fragment of Bach. Compiled for the piano.]
Leipzig: Breitkopf & Härtel
Breitkopf & Härtel
Breitkopf & Härtel is the world's oldest music publishing house. The firm was founded in 1719 in Leipzig by Bernhard Christoph Breitkopf . The catalogue currently contains over 1000 composers, 8000 works and 15,000 music editions or books on music. The name "Härtel" was added when Gottfried...

, Copyright 1910, cat.no. V.A. 3491 (45 pages)
Dated: (Giugno 1910).
Note: The plan of the work "Distribuzione dell'opera" is on the final unpaginated page.
Ref: Kindermann, pp. 245-250.
2) Title: Fantasia contrappuntistica
Published: Leipzig: Breitkopf & Härtel, [1916], cat. no. BB IV.
In: Bach-Busoni Complete Edition, Vol. IV, pp. 82-123 (42 pages); pp. 125-127 (Appendix) (3 pages)
Dedication: An Wilhelm Middelschulte, Meister des Kontrapunktes.
Reprint: Leipzig: Breitkopf & Härtel, [1920], cat. no. BB IV.
Note: The Appendix contains music cut from Fuga IV and still present at this point [in the score] in the first edition, which Busoni decided to omit for public performance.
Ref: Kindermann, pp. 245-250.
3) Title: Fantasia contrappuntistica
Published: Wiesbaden: Breitkopf & Härtel, [1983] (Roberge), cat. no. Edition Breitkopf 3491, pp. 1-43; pp. 44-45 (Appendix)
Dedication: An Wilhelm Middelschulte, Meister des Kontrapunktes.
Note: The Appendix contains music cut from Fuga IV (p. 37) and still present at this point [in the score] in the first edition, which Busoni decided to omit for public performance.
Ref: IMSLP #03400 Image:Busoni fc.pdf (14:08, 2 September 2008)
Ref: Roberge, p. 35.

  • BV 256a Fantasia contrappuntistica (edizione minore)
1) Title: Choral-Vorspiel und Fuge über ein Bachsches Fragment (Der "Fantasia Contrappuntistica" kleine Ausgabe). Preludio al Corale e Fuga sopra un frammento di Bach (Edizione minore della "Fantasia Contrappuntistica") [Chorale Prelude and Fugue on a Bach Fragment (Minor edition of the "Fantasia Contrappuntistica")]
Published: Leipzig: Breitkopf & Härtel, Copyright 1912, cat.no. V.A. 3829 (21 pages)
Dedication: gewidmet Richard Buhlig.
Note: This edition contains a preface by Busoni.
2) Title: same as for (1)
Published: Leipzig: Breitkopf & Härtel, [1916], cat. no. BB IV.
In: Bach-Busoni Complete Edition Vol. IV, pp. 61-79.
Dedication: An Richard Buhlig.
Note: This edition contains a foreword.
Reprint: Leipzig: Breitkopf & Härtel, [1920], cat. no. BB IV.
Ref: Kindermann, pp. 250-251.

  • BV 256b Fantasia contrappuntistica (for two pianos)
1) Title: Fantasia contrappuntistica. Choral-Variationen über "Ehre sei Gott in der Höhe" gefolgt von einer Quadrupel-Fuge über einBachsches Fragment für zwei Klaviere [Chorale Variations on "Glory to God in the Highest" followed by a quadruple fugue on a Bach fragment for two pianos.]
Published: Leipzig: Breitkopf & Härtel, Copyright 1922, cat.no. E.B. 5196, plate no. 28713 (68 pages)
Dedication: An das Künstler- und Freundespaar Kwast-Hodapp.
Notes:
1) According to a later entry in Schnapp's Busoni-Archive catalog, the now-lost autograph had the following date at the end: "Berlin, 3. Juli 1921"
2) The Busoni-Archive of the Berlin State Library (Busoni-Archive No. 356) preserves a proof copy with Busoni's handwritten corrections.
3) On the back of the title page is a plan of the work: "A. Analytischer 1. Choral-Variationen (Einleitung - Choral und Variationen - Übergang). 2. Fuga I. 3. Fuga II. 4. Fuga III. 5. Intermezzo. 6. Variato I. 7. Variato II. 8. Variato III. 9. Cadenza. 10. Fuga IV. 11. Corale. 12. Stretta. - B. Architektonischer: Zeichnung in Form einer Gebäudefassade."
4) According to the B&H Busoni catalog this edition appeared in 1921.
Reprints:
1) Leipzig: VEB Breitkopf & Härtel, [1955 or later]
2) Wiesbaden: Breitkopf & Härtel, [1966]
Ref: Kindermann, p. 251.

Arrangements

  • Fantasia contrappuntistica: Transcribed for large orchestra and organ by Frederick Stock
    Frederick Stock
    Frederick Stock was a German conductor and composer.-Biography:...

    .
Title: Sinfonia contrappuntistica. Choral vorspiel (Gott in der Höh' allein sei Ehr) und Fuge über ein Fragment von J. S. Bach. Original für Clavier von Ferruccio Busoni. In Grosses Orchester und Orgel übertragen von Fr. A. Stock
Manuscript: Autograph of Frederick A. Stock, Chicago.
Date of composition: "begonnen Donnerstag, 24. Juli 1911 - beendet Freitag, 11. August 1911. Düsseldorf."
Instrumentation: 3 flutes, 3 oboes, 3 clarinets, 2 bassoons, contrabasson; 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba; timpani, percussion (glockenspiel); harp, organ; strings
Score: 96 pages with notes.
First performance: 21 August 1911, Dortmund
Dortmund
Dortmund is a city in Germany. It is located in the Bundesland of North Rhine-Westphalia, in the Ruhr area. Its population of 585,045 makes it the 7th largest city in Germany and the 34th largest in the European Union....

.
Note: The Stock orchestration was authorized by Busoni, who heard the first performance with mixed reactions: 'What the layman understands by "music of the angels" was brought into being. Stock's orchestral arrangement is un-mystical and, for my taste, lacking in fragrancy and in transparency, though in some parts brilliant work.' In 1913 Busoni was scheduled to conduct this version for the Royal Philharmonic Society
Royal Philharmonic Society
The Royal Philharmonic Society is a British music society, formed in 1813. It was originally formed in London to promote performances of instrumental music there. Many distinguished composers and performers have taken part in its concerts...

 of London. At the rehearsals he began to insist on changes to the orchestration, but there was inadequate time for the new parts to be copied out, so the work was withdrawn. As a result, this version has never been played again.
Ref: Kindermann, p. 249; Beaumont, pp. 170, 175; Roberge, p. 35.

  • Fantasia contrappuntistica: Transcribed for organ by Wilhelm Middelschulte
    Wilhelm Middelschulte
    Wilhelm Middelschulte was a German organist and composer who resided in America for most of his career.-Life:...

    .
Title: Ferruccio Busoni. Fantasia Contrappuntistica. Preludio e Corale "Gloria al Signore nei Cieli" e Fuga a quattro soggetti obligati sopra un framment di Bach. Für Orgel übertragen von Wilhelm Middelschulte.
Date of composition: 1911
Published: Leipzig: Breitkopf & Härtel, 1912. EB 3612
Ref: Kindermann, p. 249; Beaumont, p. 160; Roberge, p. 35; Sitsky, p. 140.

  • Fantasia Contrappuntistica: Newly transcribed for organ by Helmut Bornefeld.
Title: Ferruccio Busoni. Fantasia Contrappuntistica über ein Bachsches Fragment für Orgel bearbeitet von Helmut Bornefeld
Date of composition: "Berabeitung fertiggestellt am 10. Oktober 1955."
Manuscript: Wiesbaden: Breitkopf & Härtel
Published: Wiesbaden: Breitkopf & Härtel, 1962, EB 6342, plate no. Wb. 495, (64 pages).
Notes:
1) Foreword, dated "Heidenheim-Brenz, März 1962"
2) Generally uses the text of the two-piano version, BV 256b
Ref: Kindermann, p. 249; Beaumont, pp. 160, 176; Roberge, p. 35; Sitsky, pp. 140-141.

  • Fantasia Contrappuntistica: Transcribed for double string orchestra, piano, 2 harps and celesta by Antony Beaumont
    Antony Beaumont
    Antony Beaumont is an English and German musicologist, writer, conductor and violinist. As a conductor, he has specialized in German music from the first half of the 20th century, including works by Zemlinsky, Weill, and Gurlitt...

    .
Date of composition: 1971
Dedication: to Ronald Stevenson
Ronald Stevenson
Ronald Stevenson is a British composer, pianist, and writer about music.-Biography:The son of a Scottish father and English mother, Stevenson studied at the Royal Manchester College of Music , studying composition with Richard Hall and piano with Iso Elinson, graduating with distinction...

Published: Wiesbaden: Breitkopf & Härtel, 1977 (manuscript facsimile).
Note: Generally uses the text of the two-piano version, BV 256b, but restores some of the cuts in the fugues. Acknowledges debt to Bartók for the choice of instrumentation which resembles that of Bartók's Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta
Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta
Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta, Sz. 106, BB 114 is one of the best-known compositions by the Hungarian composer Béla Bartók. Commissioned by Paul Sacher to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Basel Chamber Orchestra, the score is dated September 7, 1936...

. The first movement of the Bartók piece is also a fugue which employs Bernhard Ziehn's symmetrical techniques.
Ref: Beaumont, pp. 160, 176; Roberge, p. 35.

  • Fantasia Contrappuntistica: Transcribed for orchestra by Larry Sitsky
    Larry Sitsky
    Lazar Sitsky AM, usually referred to as Larry Sitsky, born 10 September 1934, is an Australian composer, pianist, and music educator and scholar...

    .
Title: Concerto for Orchestra: Completion and Realization of Busoni's "Fantasia Contrappuntistica"
Date of composition: 1984
Published: unpublished? (Roberge)
Ref: Roberge, p. 35; Sitsky, pp. 157-161.

External links

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