This cadenza provides a sophisticated, harmonically enriched interpretation of Mozart's K. 488, showcasing Busoni’s signature blend of traditional form and modern virtuosity. It stands out for its bold harmonic shifts and dense orchestral-style writing for the piano.
Students must balance the aggressive virtuosic demands with the requisite clarity of the Classical style.
Comparable difficulty and character — good candidates for what to learn next.
Cadenza to Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 23 (K. 488) is rated Henle level 8 of 9 — concert repertoire, roughly diploma level. In the RCM system it corresponds to about level 10.
You should be comfortable at Henle level 8 — meaning you can already play level 7–8 pieces cleanly. Learning it one level early is possible as a stretch piece, but more than that usually leads to months of frustration.
A typical performance of Cadenza to Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 23 (K. 488) lasts about 3 minutes.
Cadenza to Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 23 (K. 488) is available as free public-domain sheet music on IMSLP — the score is linked directly from this page.
Pieces at a comparable difficulty and character include Cadenza to Mozart's Piano Concerto No.23, BV B 9 by Ferruccio Busoni, Cadenza to Mozart's Piano Concerto by Ferruccio Busoni, Cadenza to Mozart's Piano Concerto, BV B 10 by Ferruccio Busoni — see the full similar-pieces list on this page.