Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli - In Memoriam Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli (2012-2014) [4xSACD]

Tracks:



Tribute to ‘ABM’, a mythic and unpredictable Italian pianist, a perfectionist with a carefully chosen repertory in which Scarlatti's works join those of Debussy and Ravel, while the great German romantics, from Beethoven to Brahms, were magnified and exalted, showing the soundness of their construction. The number of his recordings is limited, with mostly works by Debussy and Ravel and a few by Beethoven. He used to buy pirate ‘lives’ of his concerts as presents for his friends instead of his "official" recordings ! Here is a French anthology collecting mythical renderings of his inimitable touch easy to recognize by its ductile nature and the purity of his style. A revived masterpiece.

ABM I - Ravel, Debussy
Maurice Ravel:
Gaspard de la nuit
01. I.Ondine
02. II.Gibet
03. III.Scarbo
Piano Concerto in G major
04. I.Allegramente
05. II.Adagio assai
06. III.Presto
07. Valses nobles et sentimentales
Claude Debussy:
Children´s corner
08. I.Doctor Gradus ad Parnassum
09. II.Jimbo´s Lullaby
10. III.Serenade for the doll
11. IV.The snow is dancing
12. V.The little shepherd
13. VI.Golliwogg´s cake-walk



Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli seems to have discovered the consistent, musical place and weight for every note in two last Beethoven piano concertos and sonatas, in this basic classical field, Applied In the French ‘impressionists’ pieces, the result is the strongest, most colourful, most musical and most poetic Debussy you ever heard from a pianist!

ABM II - L.V. Beethoven, Debussy
Ludwig van Beethoven:
Piano Sonata No.32 in C minor, Op.111
01. I. Maestoso.Allegro con brio ed appassionato
02. II. Arietta.Adagio molto, semplice e cantabile
Piano Concerto No.5 in E flat major, Op.73 "Emperor"
03. I. Allegro
04. II. Adagio un poco mosso
05. III. Rondo.Allegro
Claude Debussy:
Encores (Images) for Piano solo.
06. Et la lune descend sur le temple qui fut (Book II,2.)
07. Cloches a travers les feuilles (Book II,1.)
08. Hommage a Rameau (Book I,2.)
09. Reflets dans l'eau (Book I,1.)



The Italian pianist Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli was a legend in his own lifetime - renowned for his beautifully polished sound, clarity of execution, strict fidelity to the composer and awareness of harmonic subtleties. Everything was planned to the highest degree of musical and technical perfection. He played the way he was - with a seemingly unshakeable aristocratic reserve. This third recital is proposing the best possible technical approach to restore his immaculate sound.

ABM III - Chopin, Rachmaninov
Chopin:
Piano sonata No.2 in B flat minor,Op.35
01-I.Grave-Doppio movimento
02-II.Scherzo
03-III.Funeral march.Lento
04-IV.Finale.Presto
05 - Ballade No.1 in G minor,Op.23-Largo-Moderato-Con Fuoco
06 - Valse No.17 in E flat major,Op.post.
07 - Fantaisie in F minor, Op.49 - Marcia.Grave
Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto 4 in G minor,Op.40
08 - I.Allegro vivace
09 - II.Largo
10 - III.Allegro vivace



Fourth Tribute to‘ABM’, an unpredictable Italian pianist, a perfectionist with a select repertory in which the great German composers, from the Bach baroque flamboyancy, explained by Ferrucci Busoni/, to romantics, Beethoven, Schumann and Brahms, were magnified and filtered, showing the solidity of their construction.The number of his recordings is limited.These mythical renderings of his inimitable touch easily recognizable by its pliable nature and the pureness of his style.

ABM IV - Bach, Beethoven, Schumann, Brahms
01. JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH - Ciaccona, from Partita in D minor BWV 1004, transcribed for piano by Ferruccio Busoni
LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN - Piano Sonata No.3 in C major, Op.2, No.3
02. I. Allegretto con brio
03. II. Adagio
04. III. Scherzo
05. IV. Finale.Allegro assai
ROBERT SCHUMANN - Carnaval de Vienne, Op.26
06. I. Sehr lebhaft - Allegro
07. II. Ziemlich langsam - Romanze
08. III. Scherzino
09. IV. Mit grosster Energie - Intermezzo
10. V. Hochst lebhaft - Finale
JOHANNES BRAHMS - Variations on a Theme of Paganini, Op.35
11. Thema
Book I
12. Variations I-VIII
13. Variations X-XII
Book II
14. Variations I,II
15. Variations V-VIII
16. Variations X-XIII
17. Variations III,IV
18. Book I - Variations XIII-XIV