Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli (1920-1995)

Of Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli's 1965 tour of Japan (March/April), Antonio Armella dryly observes that "Benedetti Michelangeli- naturally - did nothing to ingratiate himself with his Japanese sponsors/ per ingraziarsi i suoi sponsor giapponesi "! There was big reception at the Italian Embassy in Tokyo, to which Michelangeli had accepted an invitation.  Jacques Leiser, trusted and loyal tuner CesareTallone and ABM were staying at the Hilton Hotel in Tokyo, which was located

Students recall Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli during the Chopin Competition Echo Krakowskie , 26 March 1955 Participants of the Chopin Competition in Kraków Now we begin our journey through the castle, the oldest in Wawel [Royal Castle], the Rotunda of Felix and Adauctus, through a labyrinth of halls and cloisters, all the way to the Throne Room. The guides, who explain everything in Russian, French, German, and English, can't keep up with the dozens of questions. From the ca

A mesmerising moment from Brahms, Ballade No. 4 Op. 10 in B major, Andante con moto: Lugano 1981.  The pianist's hands - feather-like in delicacy - seem barely to press down the keys, while the vibrating inner melody is brought to the fore, Michelangeli all the while savouring the delicious, glinting clashes of harmony.

Financial Times 8 July 2011 Michelangeli confined himself to the G major concerto. How did he influence her during the 18 months she spent with him? “I don’t know. He was around most of the time but he wasn’t interested in us [pupils]. He only gave me four lessons. Later he told an interviewer: ‘I did a lot for that girl.’ When asked what he had done for me, he replied: ‘I taught her the music of silence’.” This is a joke, and we both laugh. She says Michelangeli was generou

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.