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Views from the Choir Loft

Nothing More Corny Than This

Jeff Ostrowski · June 13, 2017

RTURO Benedetti Michelangeli was never a favorite of mine, but nobody doubts his stature as a great pianist. Here’s a clip from 1949, where Michelangeli performs a transcription—by another famous Italian pianist, named Ferruccio Busoni—of Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in d minor:


I find his interpretation compelling, but what could be more corny than the way the sculptures are “shown with the beat” at the 1:15 marker?

A word on transcriptions: they went out of style in the 1950s, but sensible musicians realize this was an overreaction. Indeed, in certain cases, a transcription can be nicer than the original. If people who oppose transcriptions want to be consistent—as Busoni once pointed out—they should also be against “theme and variations” pieces.

What Edwin Fischer does with the Bach-Busoni SAINT ANNE is remarkable.

Opinions by blog authors do not necessarily represent the views of Corpus Christi Watershed.

Filed Under: Articles Last Updated: January 1, 2020

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About Jeff Ostrowski

Jeff Ostrowski holds his B.M. in Music Theory from the University of Kansas (2004). He resides with his wife and children in Los Angeles.—(Read full biography).

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Quick Thoughts

    Vespers Booklet (4th Sunday of Lent)
    The organ accompaniment booklet (24 pages) which I created for the 4th Sunday of Lent (“Lætare Sunday”) may now be downloaded, for those who desire such a thing.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Vespers Booklet, 3rd Sunday of Lent
    The organ accompaniment I created for the 3rd Sunday of Lent (“Extraordinary Form”) may now be downloaded, if anyone is interested in this.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Weeping For Joy! (We Hope!)
    Listening to this Easter Alleluia—an SATB arrangement I made twenty years ago based on the work of Monsignor Jules Van Nuffel—one of our readers left this comment: “I get tears in my eyes each time I sing to this hymn.” I hope this person is weeping for joy!
    —Jeff Ostrowski

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“There is no music worth hearing save that written in the last 40 years.”

— Johannes Tinctoris (1477)

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