I was very struck by this detail of ABM's high-handed manner. Cord Garben, a conductor and pianist who doubled as Michelangeli’s record producer for Deutsche Grammophon, was part of Michelangeli’s inner circle. "Musically he was rather easy to handle, but all the things besides were more than complicated," says Garben in lightly accented English. "When the honey he needed for his tea was not the right one, he made a small scandal, catapulting it over the table and complaining

In a review of the book by Carlo Maria Dominici - a book which I have not seen- , Cesare Galla [source in Italian ] writes: 'Evidently, the Calabrian-American boy must have impressed the great international concert pianist... His memories are lucid and precise, painting an image of the Brescian pianist that doesn't always coincide with the mannered one, established through the testimonies of friends and relatives, colleagues, and fans. What's striking are his quirks of char

This information was generously sent to me by Ди́на, Dina/ Diana (Russian Federation), who transcribed the extracts in English. After a long break, Michelangeli's first appearance was in Warsaw as juror during the 5th Chopin Festival (22 February-21 March, 1955). He resigned in protest, as Vladimir Ashkenazy, who he believed should have won, finished second to Polish pianist Adam Harasiewicz (aged 23) by a small margin. The competition ran 21 February to 20 March 1955, and

Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli in Argentina, July/August 1949. I recently sat in the great Teatro Colón, an opera house I'd long wanted to visit, a few weeks ago (September 2025): this was for a concert performance of Bellini's "I Puritani". I couldn't get the final cabaletta [“Ah! sento al mio bell’angelo”] of Elvira out of my head and have been listening to the fabulous Dame Joan Sutherland singing it ever since. (The opera premiere took place on 24 January 1835 in Paris.