Busoni's Arlecchino – An Opera Extraordinaire

Despite being rare, it is still an exceptional pleasure to learn about people whose actions or projects make you think nothing but "What?" in all the capital letters. It's OK that Ferrucio Busoni's piano concerto is the largest of them all or that it is written for almost the largest orchestra possible, but when I found out about the male voice choir that joins in the last movement, being hidden behind the curtain... I went through a whole range of emotions on it!

Shortly after I found myself thinking "Whoa, Busoni appears to be a composer I'd like to get myself acquainted with!" The thing is, if we take, for example, Eric Satie, he, with all his extravagant pranks, still remains an author of many genuinely fine works. Having a sense of humor doesn't mean that a composer doesn't take his work seriously, otherwise – as for me, it adds up a feeling of personality to his works and sometimes cheers us up (which is what music is supposed in the first instance).

Talking about Busoni's pieces that can boost our internal optimism, Harlequin is a definite highlight. Feeling of this opera is inexpressible – you just have to experience it on your own, preferrably in the concert hall. Harlequin, or The Windows, BV 270 Op.50 – here you can find sheet music of Arlecchino's closing speech, and below is the orchestersuite. Overall arrangement of the piece is so full of resource and life that it is impossible not to like it; first-grade masterpiece is what Arlecchino really is.