Search - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig van Beethoven, Claude Debussy :: Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli

Michelangeli's Art

Michael B. Richman | Portland, Maine USA | 10/13/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Although I bought this collection a couple of years ago when it first came out, I had not been able to review it on Amazon because I could never find it listed on the website. (I'm still unsure why the title is listed in French here.) "The Art of Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli" is an 8CD "collectors edition" box set featuring many of the pianist's best recordings for Deutsche Grammophon from 1957-1990, all in stereo. As no track information is listed above, this set contains the following:



CD1: Mozart PCs 13 & 15, Garben/NDR-Sinfonieorchester

CD2: Mozart PCs 20 & 25, Garben/NDR-Sinfonieorchester

CD3: Beethoven PCs 1 & 3, Giulini/Vienna

CD4: Beethoven PC 5 (Giulini/Vienna) & PS 4

CD5: Schubert PS in A Minor, D537; Chopin Mazurkas (10 total), Prelude (op. 45), Ballade (op. 23) & Scherzo (op. 31)

CD6: Schumann Carnaval & Faschingsschwank aus Wien; Brahms Ballades (op. 10)

CD7: Debussy Preludes I & Children's Corner

CD8: Debussy Preludes II & Images I & II



Most of this material has been available on CD before, with three discs worth of material continuing to be available on single titles in the midline "DG Originals" series -- the Beethoven 1 & 3 with Giulini, Brahms Ballade/Schubert Sonata & Beethoven Sonata, and Debussy Preludes & Images -- and the Mozart 13 & 15 at full-price. The highlights of the set in my opinion are the Debussy, the Brahms Ballades, and the Beethoven 1st and "Emporer" Concerto, made for TV along with the 3rd, which is not as strong. Of lesser importance to me were the Mozart Concertos and Chopin pieces, though they were still enjoyable. But regardless of individual performances, Michelangeli is without question a unique artist and most deserving of being included in all classical music collections. The question is whether you want to start with such a large collection, or just a single title."