Search - Michelangeli :: Hommage

On Perfecting the Art of Playing the Piano

D. J. Zabriskie | Park Ridge, NJ USA | 08/22/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Arturo Benedetti Michelangelli used to call his master classes "Seminars on Perfecting the Art of Playing the Piano."

This collection gives ample proof as to why that title was without pretension.

Perhaps no performing artist of the 20th Century was as meticulous in his presentation of his art as Michelangelli, sometimes studying a piece daily for as much as 5 years before he judged himself ready to perform it in public. He performed with a studied lack of showmanship, never changing facial expressions or his posture from the moment he addressed the piano

until he took his bows. What came in between was not merely perfection, but a transcendant experience. His technical mastery, his intelligence, his musical instincts, and his carefully controlled expression of emotion had few, if any, peers. Nothing in this comprehensive program seems difficult, out of place or unconsidered beneath his hands. The Brahms Variations on a Theme by Paganini show such confidence and mastery it's actually frightening. The Schumann Concerto in A is interesting to compare to Michelangelli's earlier recording with the La Scalla Orchestra. Though both are beyond criticism, the version here, with Mitropoulos and the NYPO, shows that Michelangelli never stood pat as a performer, and always strove to be even better. Michelangelli's collaborations with Ansermet were always particularly felicitous, and those included here are no exception.

As Yvgeny Kissin said of Michelangelli: "Such power! Such expression! Such control! And not one wrong note... ANYWHERE!

Extraordinary!""

"The Greatest Pianist!", so said Richter

BLee | HK | 03/31/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"
Any viewer who has his mind set on well recorded music, this boxset may not be for him!



At first, I also hesitated as I already own a Michelangeli DG boxset with beautiful sound plus some of his other albums. But, once I begin to listen to the records, I knew my hesitations are altogether unnecessary. I now understand why Michelangeli compared himself with Richter, for Richter considered him the greatest pianist of all.



Even though most of the recordings are not of the best quality--including those recorded in 1990 in London-- and there are even coughings at times, yet these are all live performances! But his Beethoven no. 32 is one of the very best one could ever imagine! As such, these recordings offer a much fuller view of the greatness of this pianist than the DG set, both as a classical and romantic player, albeit every time Michelangeli played a piece, it is going to more or less the same.



It is not about the absence of wrong notes. As Horowitz said, who cares about these trivialities! It is not even about his command of the keyboard, as this is simply out of the question. Tureck, whom I just spent some time with, has nearly the same kind of power but obviuosly she hasn't made full use of that power, certainly never as full as Michelangeli. Moreover, the control of the tone of his instrument is just superb, making it sound as he preferred like the combination of an organ and a violin. At times, it is as though we have the power and the feeling of a Verdi or Puccini opera, and at others, it is as though we are left only with a lamenting lute by itself which is so transcendal. And not only is his Schubert interesting-- his Beethoven is not much different from his other recordings-- his Chopin is so fresh and heart-throbbing...! It is the music which he makes that counts, and from there we can have a glimpse of the great musical mind at work!!



Moreover, there is a booklet with an introduction by his wife who uncovered the various myths that surrounded this great pianist and his view on music and musicians. This is very illuminating as far as Michelangeli's music making is concerned."