First released in 1992, MDG reissues this recital encompassing a selection of Ferruccio Busoni’s original works and Bach transcriptions. The renowned D minor Toccata and Fugue stands out among the latter. The work is bracketed by two chorale preludes that plod rather than flow under Claudius Tanski’s self-conscious fingers. The pianist finds his form in Busoni’s Elegies, and the Toccata’s restless pan-tonality elicits a scintillating, well-proportioned interpretation. In contrast, the Sonatina seconda needs a swifter navigator to clarify the music’s murky sentiments. Hopefully Paul Jacobs’ insightful 1979 Nonesuch traversals of all six Busoni Sonatinas will soon make their belated CD debut. MDG provides its pianist with a kind of gray resonance that holds little allure for this reviewer.
