Ferruccio Busoni was undoubtedly a child prodigy, and although his maturity as a young pianist can only be indirectly evidenced by contemporary reports, his early compositions clearly reveal an astonishing technical command. In particular, he demonstrated a sure instinct for part-writing and counterpoint, even before he had received systematic teaching in these disciplines. Busoni connoisseurs will detect in these works an unexpected foreshadowing of pieces from his mature period. Others will simply find joy in this wealth of piano music, some of the items standing comparison with works by Schumann, Mendelssohn, Reinecke and Grieg.