Prelude and Fugue in D (Arrangement for Piano) – Bach

Aside from the violin Chaconne (HN 557) and the ten Chorale Preludes for organ (HN 1293), the Prelude and Fugue in D major ranks among the best-known piano transcriptions Busoni fashioned from J. S. Bach’s works. Considerableevidence suggests that he viewed these three pieces as paradigmatic examples of his transcription technique. Busoni’s explicit labelling of the Prelude and Fugue for concert performance in the title already serves as an indicationof the heightened virtuosic requirements. And, indeed, here Busoni demands that the pianist have perfectly mastered the keyboard, always with the aim of delegating to the piano, effectively but still in the spirit of Bach, themighty sound-world of the organ work. This Urtext edition is heartily recommended to all those pianists who have ever wanted, finally, to pull out all the stops on the piano.