Bolzano & A B Michelangeli (1950)

'In 1950 ABM moved to the Bolzano Conservatory, where he taught until 1959, also holding a specialisation course in the castle of Appiano. His presence, however, due to his many concerts and also to his restless character, did not have the continuity that regular teaching required. Interviewed for the catalogue of the 1997 Bolzano exhibition, Vea Carpi, director of the Conservatory whose house – as a child – Michelangeli frequented (her father Giannino was a violinist, her mother Gabriella was a pianist) said: "He had the keys to the Conservatory; he was capable of staying there all night studying and studying some more.

Then at dawn he would leave and not be seen again until, perhaps days and days later, he remembered he had a lesson. It went on like this until the day this 'freedom' was made to weigh heavily on him—I don't know at what level, whether ministerial or local—and he was asked to respect certain rules. It was from this that he felt deeply offended and made the decision to leave. We never saw him again."

Vittorio Albani specifies: "Over the years, however, due to his intense concert activity, his presence at the Conservatory would become increasingly sporadic, until, at the end of 1959, he was forced to ask for a twelve-month leave of absence. In the meantime, Director Nordio, to meet the concert pianist's needs, requested and obtained from the Ministry of Education the establishment of a high-level international piano course for him. However, this authorization arrived on January 8, 1960: too late." Benedetti Michelangeli expressed his displeasure in writing to Director Nordio and sent for his Petrov piano to be collected, specifying that it was in Room 21.

'There, among other things, between 1950 and 1952, he had taught the young Maria Cristina Mohovich, the only "survivor" of a class that initially consisted of seven students, and whom Michelangelì selected. Professor Mohovic recalls:“Years of assiduous and exhausting study. His high professionalism, his rigor, his absolute devotion to art allowed no concessions whatsoever, nor any kind of victimization or self-pity. I remember one day when he addressed me about a Liszt study, still rather 'battered' (...). I timidly replied that I had done my best, working – as I usually did – my seven hours a day. He replied sternly “...that's not enough! At least eight... a day is made up of twenty-four hours: eight for studying, eight for sleeping and eight more left... for having fun”. Maria Cristina Mohovich, still living in Bolzano (2011), is the only pianist who obtained her diploma with Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli.'

See the 1950 page for more details and a link to the source of the above (from the Italian so there may be errors)