Letters of Ferruccio Busoni to his wife in 1902: Translation, comments and preliminary remarks

Abstract

This article is based on letters from Ferruccio Busoni to his wife, Gerda Sjöstrand, written in 1902 and never before published in Russian translation. The Preliminary Notes provide a brief description of these documents and outline the biographical context of their creation. The turn of the 19th and 20th centuries was a time for Busoni to establish himself on the European concert stage and achieve creative maturity in the field of composition. The most important events of the year under review, reflected in the correspondence offered to the reader's attention, were: the continuation of work on the opera "Brautwahl" based on Hoffmann's novella, the first steps in realizing the idea of a monumental Piano Concerto, and preparations for a series of concerts with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra dedicated to new and rarely performed music. The publication is provided with line-by-line clarifying footnotes and, where necessary, supplemented with Comments.