System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Accompanied by 4 recitals, recorded Jan. 27, 2007, Nov. 30, 2007, Apr. 19, 2008, and Apr. 30, 2009. Includes bibliographical references (p. 28-29).

System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Accompanied by 4 recitals, recorded Feb. 7, 2005, Apr. 17, 2006, Oct. 23, 2006, and Nov. 13, 2008. Includes bibliographical references (p. 40-42).

Busoni was one of the most celebrated pianists of late nineteen century. Besides his wonderful performing, his virtuosic transcriptions of Bach compositions contribute to Romantic piano repertoire. Through years, the music of Bach still popular on stage, and inspires many composers transcribe his works to other instruments. In 1893, Busoni transcribed, for the piano, the famous Bach Chaconne for violin solo from the Partita No.2 in D minor and dedicated it to the pianist Eugen d'Albert. Today, among the numerous versions, Bach-Busoni Chaconne is most often performed. This thesis mainly discuss the arrangement of Bach-Busoni Chaconne, and divided three main directions. The first part, concentrated on background research and investigated on correlation between Busoni¡¦s and Bach¡¦s Chaconne in D minor. In second part, aimed at the analysis of texture in Bach- Busoni. In third part, discussed the features of the original works which Busoni inherited from Bach, and the differences between Busoni¡¦s work and Bach¡¦s original work. The differences are divided into the emphasis on sarabande, the imitate colors of the pipe organ with sound effects, the usage of octave, and different register. Busoni followed closely to Bach¡¦s original work; he not only added virtuosic passages, pedal usage, dynamic change, different register, but also gave expression terms to reach the result of imitate the quality of orchestra and pipe organ. The Chaconne in Busoni¡¦s hand became a piano piece with great Romantic spirit in it.

The lecture recital, given April 13, 1981, began with biographical background for Busoni's compositional development leading to his mature style, as found in the Toccata, the Carmen Fantasy, and the Mephisto Waltz. The three works--an original composition, an operatic paraphrase, and a transcription from an orchestral score--were then detailed with emphasis placed primarily on Busoni's aesthetic ideals in relation to the three works.

This study examines what Busoni meant by "formal deficiencies" when he described his 1884 version of Chopin Variations, and reveals that changes made to the 1884 version during its process of revision in 1922 correct the "formal deficiencies" and show a fundamental change in Busoni's compositional style and perception of musical motion. Including a detailed analysis of the modifications, omissions, and additions made to the 1922 version (including an examination of the Chopin Prelude in C minor, op. 28, No. 20 as a theme to reveal aspects of its construction used in the variation process), which shows how these changes affect the work's compositional structure.

It is the intent of this thesis to shed a new investigative light upon a musician whose importance as a creative personality and aesthetician has been sorely underestimated or at least unappreciated by fellow musicians and audiences of his own and succeeding generations, a musician who formulated a new musical aesthetic which involved the utilization of compositional techniques diametrically opposed to those which had held dominant influence over the musical world for more than half a century, a musician who attempted to fuse the Italian sense of form and clarity with Teutonic profundity, complexity, and symbolism. This musician was Ferruccio Busoni. This thesis will concentrate on the history of the Faust legend and Busoni's final work, his opera Doktor Faust (c. 1924), the creative problems opera imposed upon Busoni, and his attempt to solve them vis-a-vis his own personal aesthetic.

Although well-respected as a pianist, teacher, and theorist, Ferruccio Busoni is overlooked as a composer. His works are viewed as being old-fashioned and conservative, especially in light of his avant-garde ideas. However, his ideas and music, especially his operas, reflect early twentieth-century Modernist aesthetics. This thesis examines Busoni's objective approach, eclecticism, and anti-realist stance in his opera Turandot. Busoni's libretto and his use of the commedia dell'arte and exoticism encourage critical, active participation from the audience. The conscious theatricality in Turandot is remarkably similar to Bertolt Brecht's very Modernist idea of the Verfremdungseffekt. The parallels between Busoni and Brecht demonstrate that Busoni's Turandot mirrors contemporary interests, and even anticipates future developments.

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Busoni's contribution to the art of the piano transcription is formidable. His chorale prelude transcriptions make him responsible for giving over to the piano repertoire a small portion of sacred literature. His special admiration of J. S. Bach, evidenced throughout his life, make Busoni's transcriptional practices all the more significant. Bach himself was a prolific transcriber of his own works and the works of others. This paper presents a brief history of keyboard transcriptional practices, emphasizing Busoni's methods by comparing the original works for organ with the transcriptions for piano. Four chorale preludes form the basis for this study: Ich ruf' zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ (BWV 639), Komm, Gott, Schopfer, Heiliger Geist (BWV 667), Nun komm' der Heiden Heiland (BWV 659), and In dir ist Freude (BWV 615).