Track Listing

1. Piano Sonata No.3 In C Major, Op.2 No.3
2. Mazurka No.47 In A Minor, Op.68/2
3. Mazurka No.25 In B Minor, Op.33/4
4. Andante Spianato Et Grande Polonaise Brillante, Op.22
5. Lyric Pieces (Excerpts)
6. Sonata No.5 In C Major (Excerpt)
7. Piano Concerto No.15 In B Flat Major, Kv450
8. Symphony In B Flat Major, Kv Anh.8
9. Piano Concerto In A Minor, Op.54
10. Piano Concerto No.5 In E Flat Major, Op.73 'Emperor'
11. Fontane Di Roma (Fountains Of Rome)
12. Piano Sonatas
13. Faschingsschwank Aus Wien, Op.26
14. Images I
15. Images Ii
16. Prelude, Livre I
17. Four Ballades, Op.10
18. Piano Sonata No.2 In B Flat Minor, Op.35
19. Preludes, Livre Ii
20. Partita No.2 In D Minor (Excerpt)
21. Variations On A Theme By Paganini, Op.35
22. Waltz No.3 In A Minor, Op.34 No.2
23. Scherzo No.1 In B Minor, Op.20
24. Piano Sonata In A Minor, D537
25. Gaspard De La Nuit
26. Piano Sonata No.32 In C Minor, Op.111
27. Mazurka No.20
28. Mazurka No.22
29. Mazurka No.25
30. Mazurka No.29
31. Mazurka No.38
32. Mazurka No.49
33. Ballade No.1 In G Minor, Op.23
34. Piano Concerto No.1 In E Flat Major

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #16875 in Music
• Released on: 2006-04-10
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Box set, Import
• Dimensions: .65 pounds

Customer Reviews

Exceptional set!
The first CD includes the entire recital given in, recorded in Teatro Colon, Buenos Aires, 21-07-49. And despite of the fact the poor sound quality, the recital well deserves praised comments.

The set of Chopin's Mazurkas is really outstanding. Performed in Brescia, 23-06-67, presnts us to Michelñangeli totally owner of the magi spell of these pages: He gives them color, humor and warm freshness, with his well accustomed interpretative solvency. Beethoven's Third Sonata Op. 2 no. 3 is one of the most beloved works of this composer, and certainly was one the proffered of Michelangeli. Admirably phrased, the only flaw to my mind is related with tempo in the second movement; a mite fast and lightly inexpressive, but the astonishing pianism of Benedetti make us to forget this misconception. Then Chopin (almost inaudible) includes The Mazurka Op. 47 Op. 68 No. 2 and Mazurka No. 25 op. 33 No. 4: The second one was by far, richest in those delicate filigrees.

The Andante Spianato et Grand Polonaise Op. 22 is beautifully ornamented and exquisitely phrased, with admirable details of his well accustomed pianism.

CD 2 presents us a clash of two well different musical visions. Hermann Scherchen conducting Mozart in 1956 the most beloved Mozart's Piano Concerto by Michelangeli at least taking into account, he recorded it. Grace, stylistic refinement, imaginative audaciousness, permeated by this Dionysian scent of visible operatic nature, specially in the first and last movement. It sounds natural, fresh and flows with an impressive atmosphere of vitality, that I have only found it Geza Anda playing with in his well reminded set with Salzburg Camerata. The final cadenza owns a sweeping elegance and pristine lyric enthusiasm. Certainly this version really shocked me and I really hope you too.

CD 3 contains Emperor's Concert, finely played by Michjelangeli and directed by Mario Rossi. Recorded in Vatican City 28-04-60.

CD 4 is part of a recital made in Helsinki. He opened that recital with Domenico Scarlatti with the follong Sonatas K. 11, 159, K. 322, K. 9, and K. 27. They were performed with that pristine musicality and delicate transparency so typical of Michelangeli. Then came Robert Schumann `s Faschingsschawnk Op. 26. Sublimely and flawless performed. The second half had to be a real shock for the audience because of th sidereal approach given to Debussy's images I and II. The Italian master literally hypnotized the whole audience and even us the listeners with his bewitching performance, carefully phrased and minutely fingered: Provided of we might say eloquent minuteness.

CD 5 and CD 6 are part of a recital recorded in Vatican City 29-04-77. The CD 5 was the first part of that recital and presents Debussy's Preludes Book I were played with that aristocratic nuance and refined verve. The CD 6 is certainly one of the highest peaks of this formidable set. As you know , Brahms Ballades Op. 10 is by far, one of his most emblematic works, and were composed when Brahms was thirty years old, in 1854, and it's one of the most beloved pieces of the literature for piano. It might be said that Benedetti made his own this piece. No other pianist (including Katchen, Kempff Or Gilels) has been able to remark with such kaleidoscopic vision the countless visual landscapes, hovered by that introspective mood. Then, the master returns to other one of his definitive interpretations, an unique landmark : Chopin's Second
Sonata Op. 35. It's played with not only a romantic effluvium, but besides Michelangeli adds that that necessary mysterious atmosphere , in which we may aware the beating otherness, the vanishing consistency and that spelling touch that surpass all what it has been recorded previous or lately. He made of this piece, a personal patrimony.

CD 7 presents us the second book of his Preludes. If the first book constitutes an admirable example of exterior vision, this second one on the contrary would seem to focus around the unseen nature of the things, sensations, hovered by a sort of nocturnal visions, vaguely illuminated here and there by a very pale light. As a matter of fact Debussy makes an introspective journey and perhaps a backward glance respect his life. But if th3se pages are not so sensual and literally expressive respect the first book, gain a new nocturnal approach, completely unconcerned with the subject matter. To evoke but not describe. In this sense the first one might be regarded as Impressionist while the second one should be cited as Symbolist. It's useless to say how this master, since the first note makes us to engage into an universe totally different, where the Images had just been a marvelous preamble, a joyous lobby for the complete delight of these masterworks. The album ends with the Eglogue (Suisse) from Franz Liszt `s Années of Pélegrinague, carefully phrased and exquisitely performed. The recital took place in Stuttgart, 27.10.82

CD 8 is priceless. Recorded in Bregenz, 15.01.88 (How I `d wish to have been there) shows us in first place, the well known transcription Bach-Busoni Chaconne. No other pianist like him (not even the same Busoni got such level of radiant fulfillment. After having listened I decided to seek the celebrated of the forties; but the surprise was majuscule. This version of 1988 is miles away in what concerns maturity, supreme incandescence, radiant vitality and unfathomable mystery. And I would not hesitate we are in presence of one of the milestone recordings of the XX Century. The performance of Brahms Variations on a theme by Paganini are superbly played with sardonic gestures, evil sarcasm, full rounded pianism and well rounded melodic inspiration. His approach about Chopin's waltz No. 3 is loaded of autumnal visions. And the Fisrt Scherzo is vitally ignited of that visceral passion that would reappear in his Polonaises.

CD 9 is another exception document. Schubert's Piano Sonata D. 537 has really been one of the most expressive pages of this genial composer. This venerable artist recreates the work with his admirable musically, enraptured imagination and sublime phrasing, as just a few have been able to make it( (Kempff is the exception). Recorded in Lugano 07.04.81.But when we come to "Gaspard de la nuit" to my view the most pyramidal composition of Ravel), we may realize why he enjoyed of that mythic flame. Since the first bar, those spelling thrills literally dive us in that dreamy atmosphere, loaded of spectral visions and elusive landscapes. With the only exception of Samson Francois, you will never hear another level of performance for a long, long time I guess. Recorded in Vatican City, 13.06.87.

CD 10 gave us rewarding revelations. First at all, one of the dramatic and finely phrased and better played performances of Liszt Piano concerto No. 1 in years: Michelangeli erased the accustomed patina of decedent romanticism providing it of resplendent vigor and vigorous lyricism. Recorded in Tokyo and accompanied by Jindrich Rohan and the Yomiuri Symphony Orchestra in 04-04-65.

Aura's Michelangeli Box Set #1
Michelangeli was an incredibly gifted pianist, revered for his incredible technique and beautiful delicate touch. Reclusive, aristocratic and debonair, his live performances would have been wonderful things to see. (You can, in fact, see him perform on YouTube -- his touch is incredible.) Unfortunately, the best we can do is enjoy his recording legacy. The box set under review is the first of two, released by Aura, consisting of rare recordings of Michelangeli. Together, they add substantially to this legacy.

All of these recordings are live recordings, mostly recitals, with the odd concert at the Vatican or elsewhere thrown in, one or two of either being radio or television broadcasts to boot. The consequence of all this is that you do get some crowd noise, though on the whole I cannot say it bothered me any. The 1st disk of this set consists of a Buenos Aires concert from 1949, where the sound is noticably dated, but the rest is of a perfectly reasonable quality (the audiophiles might argue otherwise, but I've always been more of a "music-phile", the quality of sound being a clear second to the quality of the performance).

The contents of this box are listed in the review of Hiram Gomez Pardo. Though all the works are good, if there is a true highlight of this box, then for me it is the live recordings of Debussy's Preludes; book 1 being recorded at a recital in Vatican City in May 1977, and book 2 recorded in Stuttgart in October 1982.

What is not listed anywhere is the overlap between the 2 boxes. You see, Aura are doing a little double dipping. The most significant case of naughtiness involves the Preludes recordings I just mentioned. In this 1st box, you get the complete recording of Michelangeli's performance of book 1 in Vatican City on disk 5. In the 2nd box, disk 6 has a lovely recording of Debussy's "Children's Corner", along with Images I and II, but also contains a significant excerpt of the same Vatican City recital of the Preludes book 1. Additionally, we get the same recording of a couple of Chopin pieces. We also get many doublings across these two boxes, including three distinct recordings of Chopin's Mazurka in B minor, Op.33 No.4, dating from 1949, 1967, and 1990, so pretty much spanning his career. We also get 3 distinct recordings of the piano concerto of Schumann -- the earliest two are conducted by Mitropoulos (1949 -- in ok sound, in box 2), and Scherchen (1956 -- sound is fine).

There are several small downsides to this set, though none of them significant enough to advise against buying. Ignoring the repeats and doublings already mentioned, there is also some quality control problem with the disks -- the very end of disk 4 in my set has a glitch in it (though it still plays through), while I had to buy the 2nd box thrice before I got a set without a faulty disk (disk 1 was completely corrupted in the 1st case, while the 2nd time through disk 7 failed multiple times in Galuppi's piano sonata). So my advice is check all of your disks asap upon receipt. There is also no accompanying booklet or note of any kind. Aura really have made sure they've kept everything to the bare minimum; this may help explain why this box, despite containing many worthwhile recordings, is so so cheap. Buy it, and get the companion box set too.