'Michelangeli, like a bolt of Lightning makes me suddenly understand the essence of the ....music. 'The best piano recording I have heard'
Carl-Johan Malmberg, Svenska Dagbladet – 8/4/2005
PNCD 531 (Polskie Nagrania-Muza, Poland, 1997)
'Michelangeli, like a bolt of Lightning makes me
suddenly understand the essence of the ....music. 'The best piano recording I
have heard'
Carl-Johan Malmberg, Svenska Dagbladet – 8/4/2005
Tracks:
-
Scarlatti Sonata c-moll L 352
-
Sonata d-moll L 413
-
Sonata A-dur L-483
-
Sonata h-moll L 449
-
Beethoven's Sonata C-dur
op. 2 nr 3
-
Chopin's Waltz Es-dur
-
Schumann's Vienna Carnival op. 26
-
Debussy's Hommage a Rameau (Images -
1)
-
Federico Mompou's Canción
danza (encore)
Performed by:
Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli - piano
Recorded:
at the Warsaw Philharmonic, on February 27, 1995, except
encore on March 13, 1955
About:
Arturo
Benedetti Michelangeli was born during the night of 5 to 6 January 1920 in
Brescia, Italy. He began his musical training at the age of four at the "Istituto
Musicale Venturi" under the direction of Paolo Chimeri. He subsequently went on
to continue his musical education in Milan, where he studied piano and
composition under Giovanni Anfossi as well as violin with Renzo Francesconi.
He obtained his soloist's diploma at the age of
fourteen, and immediately launched his concert career. His extraordinary talent
was recognized immediately and was first honoured in 1939 when Michelangeli won
the first prize of the prestigious Geneva International Competition,
whose jury was headed by Ignaz Paderewski. His importance as a towering figure
among 20th-century pianists was stamped (coined...) by Cortot's saying: "Here
is a new Liszt".
The famous words also helped confirm his reputation
abroad. He played in England in 1946, and was invited to the U.S. in 1948. The
following year, he was requested to take part in the festivities honouring
(commemorating) the l00th anniversary of Chopin's death in Warsaw. In addition,
Michelangeli also dedicated himself with great enthusiasm to his teaching
activities. His reputation quickly spread throughout the musical world and soon
led to his appointment at the Bologna Conservatory and, later, to the
Conservatories of Venice and Bolzano as well. In addition, he also gave master
classes in Arezzo; Siena, Turin and Lugano.
After a health-related pause in his career, he returned
to the concert podium in 1964; when he travelled to Russia. The following year
he toured Japan, then concertized in the U.S., lsrael and, once again, in
Germany. He founded the International Piano Festival in Brescia and Bergamo in
1964, and remained its artistic director for about three years.
After setting in a town close to Lugano, in Switzerland,
Michelangeli became increasingly absorbed with his search for the greatest
possible depth of interpretation, the result of which can be seen in several
grandiose concert performances - as concerts with orchestra and in solo recitals
- which the maestro gave throughout Europe (in particular, the Vatican concerts
of 1977 and 1987, as well as the Bregenz and London concert series). After
overcoming an illness which broke out during a concert in Bordeaux in 1988, he
returned to his international concert career with renewed energy in 1989. Its
dazzling climaxes were reached in two Mozart CDs and in the exceptional Bremen
concerts of 1989 and 1990, the Munich concerts conducted by Celibidache, the
extensive Japan tour of 1992 and, finally, in the Hamburg concerto of 7 May
1993, which was Michelangeli's last public appearance.
Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli died in Lugano on 12th
June 1995 and was buried in Pura.
text courtesy of ©
arturobenedettimichelangeli net
