Search - Johnannes Brahms, Franz Schubert, Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli :: Michelangeli Plays Brahms (Ballades, op. 10) & Schubert (Piano Sonata in A minor, D.537) On Early 20th-Century Piano

From American Record Guide

Record Collector | Mons, Belgium | 12/29/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

""Michelangeli was obsessed with playing only the perfect piano--which, of course, does not exist. He worked intently for hours with his personal technician before every concert and recording session, to prepare the piano to his idealized condition. He once cancelled four out of five recitals in Russia because he was dissatisfied with the condition of his own piano! The Michelangeli precision can leave listeners with a perception of a cool, calculating person whose interpretations are superimposed and artificial. Not all listeners view his playing as cold and remote. Michelangeli is eccentric, but also elegant. His perfection is not mathematical. He has beautiful tone quality.



"The Ballades are contemplative and sonorous, almost mystical in scope. The Schubert is conveyed with charm, grace, and elegance. The sense of architectural design in these large-scale structures is impressive and convincing."

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