Giovanni Anfossi and Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli
Updated: Aug 13

THE MASTER OF THE MASTER. Giovanni Anfossi and Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli
Il maestro del maestro. Giovanni Anfossi e Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli
For those who read Italian (not me). You can download an excerpt. I cannot attest the quality of the writing and research, but I'm attracted by the fact the author had access to archival material.
Matteo Mainardi (author) published this book in January 2026 for Zecchini Editore
Giovanni Anfossi, a direct descendant of Pasquale, studied music in his native Ancona and at the conservatory in Naples under the guidance of Martucci. From 1888, he devoted himself to teaching in Verona and Milan, establishing ties with the upper middle class and founding his own private school. His students included Luisa Baccara, Rina Gallo, Agostino Orizio, and Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli.
How much does Benedetti Michelangeli owe to his teacher, Giovanni Anfossi?
How did Benedetti Michelangeli become the Maestro par excellence?
These are crucial, profound questions. An answer comes from reading Anfossi's unpublished private archive, from the testimonies of Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli's students, and from previously unknown photographic portraits that help us shed new light on the adolescent and young man at the moment his star rose.
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