ZWEI- UND DREISTIMMIGE INVENTIONEN FÜR KLAVIER VON J. S. BACH, BWV 772-801, FÜR PIANOFORTE BEARBEITET. Dedicate al Musikinstitut di Helsinki e compste a Mosca nel 1891. As with all of Busoni's editions of Bach, an introduction indicates the particular aspect of the music that is to be stressed, while at the same time the music is edited with his typical thoroughness. In the case of the inventions, Busoni indicates in his preface that "a commentary, which, besides the technical hints, and remarks upon execution - is intended to be a contribution towards the study of Form." And so, the copious notes either deal with analysis or with style and its related technical problems: there is no pianistic adaptation to be found in the Inventions. Busoni apparently saw in these pieces not as much concert as pedagogical material; more purity of line and not so much the gothic architecture he so loved in some of the bigger pieces from the "48" and other Bach fugues he edited. He probcbly did not know that Bach stated in a preface to the fair copy of the Sinfoniae that these pieces, originally appearing in a little instructional album for W. F. Bach, were intended to demonstrate techniques of both performance and composition. An interesting feature of Busoni's pianism is his use of crossover fingerings with the thumb stationary; the edition is generally full of very useful and ingenious suggestions. Characteristic of the change of heart that overcame Busoni as his distaste for the purely exhibitionistic aspect of the virtuoso career gained ground is the interpretation of the two-part Invention No. 15 in b minor. The published indications are "Non legato, not too moderate in movement." In later years, as Busoni indicated in the preface to the second edition, he preferred to play this Invention slowly, slurred [...] and rather reflective in character, thus again anticipating a more recent style of Bach performace. [SITSKY, pp. 187-188]