Rachmaninov was a first-of-April baby, and a big favourite of mine, but I held back and stuck to the lesser-known choice of Ferruccio Busoni, born on this day in 1866 in Empoli, Italy. A pianist himself, he composed quite a lot of pieces, acknowledging the influence and thematic use of other composers such as Bach and Chopin.
However, I was caught by the Indianisches items... having travelled in the United States, he connected with a lady who had been studying the songs and sounds of the Native Americans, producing a book which she passed on to him. Busoni did not like how the Indians were being treated... You can read a bit more about that if you wish, over on this linked page. Here, though, is one of the piano pieces inspired by the Indian Harvest Songs...
