Ferrucio Busoni

Known mainly for his astounding skills as a pianist, Ferrucio Busoni was also an important late Romantic and early twentieth century composer and theoretician. First impressing audiences with his virtuoso fingers, he caught his peers' attention with intense chromatic passages, twisting counterpoint and his stunning operatic works, including Doktor Faust. Busoni proposed new ways of thinking about music -- including ideas about structural, microtonal and electronic music later taken up by composers such as Edgar Varese. In addition, Busoni's fascination with and understanding of J.S. Bach led to piano arrangements still in use today. His pieces were not only musically inventive: they featured beautiful orchestration, filled with lush new instrumental combinations.