Bach-Busoni: Toccata & Fugue in D minor - Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli (1949)

[mirco1piano]

assurdo sembra quasi abbia i registri dell'organo

[kasyapa]

and what incredible economy of motion.

[kasyapa]

perhaps somewhere in some italian attic is the complete film of just mich. playing that was edited out.

[sbcpianist]

Thanks for posting this!

[fredericfranc]

What the Italians are doing here visually is kind of wild, but this is overall hard to resist. Their great musical national resource of a pianist shows off his aristocratic aplomb to great effect...and you actually DON'T GET TO SEE HIM(?)...

[brianCIM]

Anybody who doubts this mans unprecedented technique i urge to get the score to this piece and play through it. I hadn't done that in a while and i did the other day. You wouldn't believe how difficult it is. And yes, i have the Grainger, Tausig and Friedman arrangements. They are not as difficult as the Busoni. Some of the passages ABM plows right over are insanely difficult. It is absolutely ridiculous how good this man was. Child's play to him, impossible for others.

[NOSEhow2LIV]

@brianCIM Everyone has their idea of "difficulty", but in terms of fuller texture, complex voicing, wider stretches, awkward leaps, etc, the Tausig is MUCH more difficult to master and play well. Among the frequent disppointed reactions of various pianists is the impression that Busoni, not caring so much for this piece, made rather a lightweight job of it. That's not to reflect badly on M's performance here which is certainly terrific.

[brianCIM]

@NOSEhow2LIV well i have played through them all and Busoni's version i find much more awkward. In fact i find Busoni's transcriptions rather unpianistic in the sense that although a pianist of genius his transcriptions have needless additions that don't really have to be there. After finally taming the Chaconne i can say that it is FAR, FAR harder than it sounds. I could cite at least 10 passages where there is absolutely no reason for a certain series of notes to be there. forgive my pedantry.

[TheSwordsweeper]

In alcuni momenti sembra di sentire i ripieni di un organo a canne, impressionante. Peccato per l'audio che zoppica un po'.

[ghardvyu]

Thank you!!!!

a miracle...that's all i can say

[massimiliano123123]

orgasmico

[vova47]

There seems to be 5 persons who dislike this rare document of Maestro Michelangeli playing this divine masterpiece. They surely must be escapees from some not too fussy loony bin and should form a support group....

[willweeverknow]

Ah - a 'new' recording with unforgettable ABM. Never heard this one before. I feel so lucky about this internet-thing. But sad at the same time that he is no longer with us. Thanks so much for posting this!

[brianCIM]

"Friedman was unrivaled at playing double notes." .....uh Michelangeli was unrivaled in every technique a pianist could possess.

[phemt666]

@brianCIM

You really deserve to be the only person in my friendlist on youtube :)

[brianCIM]

@phemt666 I am honored to be on your friendlist. Someday we are going to track that ENTIRE Chacconne video down. I vow it.

[phemt666]

@brianCIM

I was thinking to write to BBC and if it's necessary to go to London... (seriously)

I will have that video.

[brianCIM]

@phemt666 me too. you don't have any idea how long for me to find that info. A borderline obsession. I thought about contacting RAI also. I refuse to give up!

[brianCIM]

@phemt666 Hey my "Friedman was unrivaled..." comment went down from 6 thumbs up to 5 thumbs up. Will the guilty party please step forward. i guess there was another escapee from the "not too fussy" mental institution as was mentioned earlier. Who is the wacka-loon with the mighty thumb? lol.

[LisztBusoni]

Stupenda interpretazione!

Un tema di Bach, trascritto da Busoni, suonato da Michelangeli....che volete di più dalla vita?

Chissà perchè, dopo aver ascoltato Michelangeli, tutti gli altri pianisti mi paiono inutili....

[gorgiadilentini]

Mpakos...it's a nonsense to compare Friedman or Lane with Michelangeli.

But it is not a big problem...one day you'll understand, i'm sure.

[gorgiadilentini]

Because you didn't know that originally this piece was not written for organ but for piano. JSB was waiting for ABM.

Unbelievable performance and of course exceptional transcription by FB.

[humpert]

not human..

[MatteMacPiano]

Simply amazing.

[sokap37]

Yes, I have the the recording of Lane, is really stunning...

[mpakos18473]

He plays excellent but I'm not impressed of this.

The arrangements of Grainger and of Friedman on T&F 565 for piano are much more difficult and impressive, more than the known Busoni's adaption.

The great virtuoso Piers Lane recorded them. If you hear his recording you will not impressed either by this here.

[phemt666]

@mpakos18473

It's sad to say, but you don't know nothing about transcriptions, piano playing and even about the pieces you're talking about...

The "transcription" of Grainger it's not a transcription, but a fusion between the transcription of Tausig and Busoni. And it's not more difficult, perahps it's easier...

The transcription of Friedman is not very different by the Busoni transcription, we could say it's the busoni transcription with few changes. Also in this case it's not more difficult.

[mpakos18473]

I know much more than you think.

Tausing & Busoni both annotated their transcriptions for piano with copioius directions to the performer and Grainger has borrowed these and added his own to make a score tha is both intensely creative and enticing to the player.

[brianCIM]

you are right mpakos. and grainger's own recording is stunning. what an underrated pianist! but i must say this ABM version is just out of this world. he is creating pianistic miracles that leave one's jaw agape. plus the sound here is pretty horrendous. still doesn't detract from what is a transcendent performance. ABM never fails to boggle the mind. incredible, just incredible pianism here.

[mpakos18473]

(cont..)

And although Grainger played his transcription frequently, no manuscript copy exists. There is only an attenuated selection of bits of passagework in Grainger's hand, perhaps used for practice, and held in Grainger Museum In Melbourne.

Leslie Howard was the first who provided an accurate performing score based on Grainger's recordings.

[mpakos18473]

Where am I wrong ?

That there wasn't a manuscript on 565 before Leslie Howard provided an accurate performing score based on Grainger's recordings ?

Howard and Lane says this in their discs (eg. Hyperion CDA37344), not I.

And they must know much more than many of us here...

For me, Piers Lane's recording is the state of the art in this piece and that's a personal opinion.

And by the way, Piers Lane has played many times in couple with M.A.Hameline - that means a lot...

[brianCIM]

I know that. I saw both when i lived in NYC. I saw Hamelin 3 times in one year. They are both great pianists and Hamelin was really fun to talk with but the proof is in the pudding. Compare Hamelin's Chaconne to Michelangeli's and you will see why ABM was the greatest technician to grace the earth. I am pretty sure if ABM wanted to he could play things as difficult as the Alkan concerto or the Godowsky arrangements of the Chopin Etudes(which i saw Hamelin do in concert.

[maytancenter]

@brianCIM You are so right - I never realized what a giant this guy was. There is absolutely no struggling whatsoever in any measure. This is very difficult at that tempo and there is no slowing down. He plows over obstacles as if they weren't even there. My mouth stayed open in unbelief when I followed the score. Hamelin hesitates and covers his shortcomings well. Michelangeli doesn't have any. The octaves alone are nearly impossible. I used to think Hamelin was the greatest - not anymore.

[brianCIM]

@maytancenter I knew it was only a matter of time when someone would ACTUALLY agree with me. Only took 2 years.(lol)

[mpakos18473]

(cont. 2)

Friedman's version is somewhat less adventurous but it's entirely pianistic. His aim everywhere is to use the full sonority of the piano and his transcrisption has above all nobillity and a dramatic expressivenes.

[mpakos18473]

(cont. 3)

Friedman was unrivalled playing double notes, sixths and octaves and his transcriptions - not only 565 but many others too - bristles with them.

In his transcription, continual displacements of left hand lines darting back and forth across the piano give stimulating aural provocation and add innumerable difficulties.

Grainger's transcription is more grandiose but Friedman's solutions are pianistically more elegant and allow a more gradual building of the work.

[mpakos18473]

(cont. 4)

To close, Michellangelly plays excellent.

But I like Piers Lane's recordings of Grainger and Friedman transcriptions on 565 more and I'm not impressed from this one.

(And I'm an amateur pianist too, so I'm not irrelevant... )

[brianCIM]

@phemt666 you are right my friend. I own the Grainger transcription and as you said it is a fusion. If you read Grainger's memoirs and letters(contained in "The Farthest North of Humaness") he describes this as a "fusion" several times. Nail hit squarely on the head Phemt. I wrote Barry Ould of the Percy Grainger Society requesting this about 5 years ago and he sent me the Grainger score within a week.

[brianCIM]

well i am addicted to grainger's music. its part of my master of music thesis. while i find piers lane very good, ABM is on a completely different level in my humble opinion. this staggering pianism. but listen to ABM's bach-busoni chaconne. it is my favorite performance of ANY piece EVER. i have been working on the chaconne for about 6 months now. his recording reaches the summit of amazing pianism . damn i wish someone had a video of that. it's scary

[javierpe9103]

excelente interpretacion

[Umbriaga]

squisito! grazie Mille

[AdmiralSnider]

Will anyone ever play this in a better way? I wish the usual organ versions had a bit of Michelangeli´s genius.

[brianCIM]

funny thing is that ABM was an organist also. NOBODY could top this. how can you when every note displays ABM's genius. and he throws it off like he is playing "mary has a little lamb". i am convinced he was the greatest technician of all time.

[Chuckles543]

The ending is insane.

[foerster]

Questo video è così poetico, inserito nell'epoca, una sorta di cinegiornale, quelli che venivano trasmessi negli intervalli dei cinema. Un film, con contenuti universali, sincero, e direi moderno e interessante. Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli rende con i tasti di un pianoforte l'universalità anche esecutiva di Bach, cuore della vera civiltà, e allo stesso tempo con le sue dita e interpretazione è genio interpretativo assoluto.

[iguarni]

@foerster Complimenti per il commento! E' bene che noi, suoi connazionali appreziamo sempre più questo immenso talento italiano sì ma patrimonio dell'umanità!

[MgcMrMistoffelees]

Give me more rare videos like this please. Thanks for uploading this genius work!

[johnjtheoriginal]

and the words written in the end are about the miracles of the music that can give enthusiasm

[johnjtheoriginal]

in fact it starts with the noise, and then the woman succeeds in listening; she is not rich, but she can read music

she is the people who wanted to start again

[johnjtheoriginal]

he was a genius

i think that the film was made fro the cinema

after a war to make people to love classic music putting it into a simple story is a good idea,

to give hope in those years is what was to be done

rome had a lot to suffer, and to think about its ancient beauty is ok

[frederickfrederikfre]

La sua forma di suonare,di far musica innamora!

[dexterityhunter]

This is some of the greatest piano playing which has ever come down to us. Sound volume, tonal control and colors, technique and level of reflection: simply beyond imagination - both demonic and divine. Thank you so much for posting this mesmerizing video, phemt666 !!!

[frederickfrederikfre]

Senza parole

[FreieStadtElbing]

busoni and michelangeli both shown their talents at prime,manufacturing shit out of bach`s masterpiece

[tonidist]

ogni commento è superfluo...avrei desiderato dirti grazie....lo faccio adesso

[terenceva]

A very important document about a piece ABM desn't play in public in my own known after 1950 in contrary to the "chacone" he recorded and play several times in the 60 and and the end of his life. Thanks

[iguarni]

Maestro sei l'orgoglio di quanti amano con il cuore la musica classica. Come sono felice di poter dire a tutti che un genio di questo livello era ITALIANO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[thejugglenaut91]

god damnit, why are editors and cameramen who shoot these things so retarded?

[theanswer00]

ahahahah XD well.. the television was born just a few years before this concert and italy was still re-building the country after the war so... and of course the editors were the same of the "istituto luce", the fascist TV, so they wanted to show not the musician, but the "italianism" of the situation showing the roman buildings... idiots.

[frederickfrederikfre]

Michelangeli sta sicuramente seduto al piano con i grandi che come lui,in una dimensione più accorde con la loro anima e sensibilità,hanno tradotto in MUSICA i sussurri che dall`aldilà l`Assoluto gli comunicava.

[perzichello]

incommensurabile Michelangeli

[skizzo1989]

magico..perfetto

[pingkai]

Most important thing about this guy is that when he plays something, you know that there is nothing can be improved (at least in his way of interpretation).

[drummerboy9689]

no wonder it's fast--the audio is up a half step! you can clearly see he's playing it in d minor, but it is sounding in eb minor! wonder performance nonetheless.

[phemt666]

-.-

It's not speeded up, just a distortion due to the passage from analog to digital sound.

[thejugglenaut91]

it's not sped up, it's obviously from normal distortion from the original tape.

[frederickfrederikfre]

A parte il discorso musicale,il fraseggio ........,ogni sua singola nota tiene un vita,un senso in sè stessa e nell`insieme.Ascoltarlo non può che innamorare

[MusaDelRock]

una delle interpretazioni più belle che mi sia capitato di ascoltare della Toccata e Fuga di Bach...sublime.

[Babejuda]

What a pianist!!! Amazing! Almost un-natural.

[miliona1re]

Brividi dall'inizio alla fine,atmosfera metafisica.

[miliona1re]

king of kings

[ToccodelDestino]

Ciò che colpisce, oltre alla bravura di Michelangeli, sono le sue mani. Sembrano sempre perfettamente rilassate, il movimento è ridotto al minimo. Non ho mai visto una cosa del genere in nessun altro pianista...

[iguarni]

fare le cose difficili con naturalezza implica semplicemente una ragione: essere un genio!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[frederickfrederikfre]

È incredibile,faceva con il pianoforte quello che lui voleva,quasi magia

[iguarni]

Non quasi!!!!! Magia pianistica allo stato puro!! Questo capolavoro riadattato da Ferruccio Busoni (altro mostro di virtuosismo) è di una difficoltà spaventosa ed egli lo suona con una fluidità inumana!!!!!

Un genio italiano (meno male con quello che passa il convento...).

[snackpackattack99]

Nobody else compares to Mivhelangeli, not even close, best pianist that ever lived!!!

[iguarni]

Come disse Robert Shumann di Chopin. Giu' il cappallo davanti a questo genio!!!!

[bluedadone]

mmmhh, un mini-forum di miei concittadini bresciani su Michelangeli? Ottimo! Solo una osservazione: avete visto che figata il commento qui sopra? "Yeah, Michelangeli kicks ass!!"...

[npelletier89]

Shit... didn't realize it was possible to play it this fast... 7:15 is insane...10ths in left hand and inner sixteenth triplets in right hand... there's tons of 6ths in this too... jeez the amount of finger independence me must have to play this beast this fast!

[formenlehre]

Yeah Michelangeli kicks ass.

[phemt666]

Chi era tuo nonno? :o

[bubylugo88]

.....WOOW REALLY????.....*_* if someone ask me which person I'd like to meet that now is dead...I'll surely say: MICHELANGELI!!! Your grandpa was really lucky.

[bubylugo88]

favolosoooooo

[yomama5567]

simply amazing

[nintendowns]

if only there was a better quality video . :(. this guy is awesome.

[FARINELLI99]

wonderful bellissimo grazie...

[francescaemc2]

Che meraviglia!

[syntagma83]

¡Magnífica interpretación! Es una de las mejores interpretaciones que he escuchado, junto con la de Tatiana Nikolayeva.

[war50p]

amazing! Shame not more like this on here and less of the dross!!! Will we ever know the TRUTH about this lunatic genius? I saw him live in London and it was one of the mostamazing musical experiences of my life

[iguarni]

A.B. Michelangeli was not only an italian pianist. He has been and he is now a great mankind treasure for ever!!!!!

[ragtimemarkbirnbaum]

insanely fantastic!

thx

m

[luizmarcco]

From 8:19 to 8:54 we have one of the most powerful moments in music.

Oh, what the hell the whole piece is this moment I speak!

Bravissimo

[frederickfrederikfre]

Questo uomo é La Musica!!!

[Krikko0rs125]

TI RINGRAZIO... ci fosse piu gente k mette video belli e utili come te .youtube sarebbe un bel sito ;)

[frederickfrederikfre]

E pensare che gran parte dell`Italia non l`ha apprezzato né appoggiatoin vita come di dovere e come meritava,obbligandolo a "esiliare".l

Risulta ancora una volta evidente che nessuno è Profeta nella sua terra.

Una vera pena!!!

[nairigrigorian]

Te agradesco infinitamente!!!

Es un Maestro!!!

[pianofolle]

I like many versions of this piece, but i never thought: "i like this version more than michelangeli's" -maybe i liked some just as much as his one

[javacisnotrecognized]

From 10:55 to 10:59, I hear what sounds like an organ playing .. it's very faint. Anybody else hear this?

[fusileddu]

God does exist!

[BBBachBusoni]

Very Good, a little shaky, obviously due to the old 1949 recording, but you can tell it was great in person. 5 stars

[iguarni]

Ascoltare questo capolavoro fa immediatamente comprendere, soprattutto ai più giovani, l'immensità del più grande pianista italiano di tutti i tempi(assieme a Ferruccio Busoni). Dobbiamo riscoprire i nostri fenomeni e non guardare alla miseria del presente !!!! Grazie del video meraviglioso!!!

[humpert]

dio

[miliona1re]

Sovrumano.....................­....

[frederickfrederikfre]

Phemt666

É´un vero REGALO.

Grazie

[AdmiralSnider]

Someone knows if this performance is available on CD? Qualcuno sa dove si trova questo pezzo (CD?). Thanks, grazie!

[phemt666]

Non c'è nessun CD (fino a che non lo produrrò io :D), è un'esclusiva assoluta che ho regalato a youtube ;)

[iguarni]

se ne hai altri di questi capolavori non ti peritare...nei regali.. Grazie davvero. L'esecuzione del Maestro è commovente!!!

[francamentefranca]

Scusate il refuso. Lombardi disse: "Sembrava che si spaccasse il cielo". Francamentefranca.

[francamentefranca]

Il mio Professore di università, Franco Lombardi, un giorno ci raccontò di aver sentito suonare questa musica, di notte, in una strada deserta."Sembrava che su soaccasse il cielo" . disse.

[frederickfrederikfre]

Che bello!!!Un video eccezionale

[elgabo77]

wow

[framaulo]

No words.

[argerich68]

Grazie a chi ha pubblicato questo video.Un'occasione per sognare,ricordare e riflettere sulla grande e irripetibile arte di Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli!

[fricoepolente]

Davvero straordinario il m° Michelangeli! Fantastica esecuzione!!

..alle volte la regia però fa davvero ridere! :)

[yukily07]

Delightful. Roman splendor behind and Goethe' quotation. Life in ruins?

[anthrax088]

In questi anni di declino, sentire il Maestro, nell'esecuzione di questo capolavoro, ci rende un po' meno tristi e tanto orgogliosi di aver consegnato questo genio al patrimonio dell'umanità.

[phemt666]

mi ricorda vagamente il commento di iguarni...

[iguarni]

hai ragione ma non ho il copyright! Comunque bisognerebbe indire un premio per chi riuscirà a trovare il video integrale della Ciaccona BWv 1004 (Bach adattata per piano da ferruccio Busoni) eseguita da A.N. Michelangeli che è assolutamente straordinaria!!

[framaulo]

Della Ciaccona sentii la registrazione alla radio, è veramente impressionante.

[ketrichen]

Did anyone ever see him in performance?

[iguarni]

In questi anni di declino, sentire il Maestro, nell'esecuzione di questo capolavoro, ci rende un po' meno tristi e tanto orgogliosi di aver consegnato questo genio al patrimonio dell'umanità.

[JBLACK12]

The playing here is ridiculously good. Even for Michelangeli's standards. Then you hear he really didn't care for concerts and actually played better when he was just amongst friends. Just imagine what that must have been like. WOW! Everything; the tone is otherworldy, the technique is of the highest order, and the phrasing is just...There are no words. Amazing!

[ilovescarlatti]

Divino Arturo !!! Aristocratico, composto, fascinoso, perfetto !!!!! Maestro Lei non sarà mai dimenticato e vive in noi, per sempre ...... E' questa l'immortalità ? Forse

[lazarogeorg]

Incredible...I cant stop listening to this marvel..it doesnt even matter that we actuly hear the d minor toccata and fuaga transposed to e minor:)

[ketrichen]

How exciting to come across this video of a piece I never even knew he recorded !

Thanks, phemt666 !!

And I agree with you, Piratebreadstick, about the Chaconne. I also would love to see that one very much.

[Piratebreadstick]

This could very well the best piano playing ever. What a pity the director didn't think the pianist's hands were interesting enough to keep the camera on the. Instead he takes us on a scenic tour of ruins. Still, I'm greatful for the fact this film exists. I'm hoping someone has the Bach Chaccone on film.

[ilovescarlatti]

Amazing !!!! What a marvellous pianist. We are honoured to have had in Italy such sublime artist. One of best player of all times !!!! Sure... Dear Arturo let be happy at the artist's heaven ............

[skyscreaper27]

Sublime!

But I don't understand what is that ring on theleft-little finger...

[Giords111]

a ring...

[skyscreaper27]

Why he uses it?

[calcmandan]

Flawless performance. His pedaling and dynamics were POWERFUL.

[CrazyPianist122792]

Hey phemt, where R U able 2 pick up vids like this?

[63Attila]

WOW. Thank you. I thought I owned everything ABM recorded. The instrument sounds like a combination of the harpsichord and organ. Would appreciate a performer explaining how ABM got this sound.

Was this performance from a motion picture?

[oktalp]

The Tausig transcription is also interesting but I prefer the Busoni. Several other 19th Century piano virtuosi transcribed this for the piano.

[brianCIM]

percy grainger made a transcription of this and its my favorite. he took the best parts from the tausig and busoni transcriptions and also some of his own effects. also i have an amazing recording of him playing it and it's truly staggering playing. UNBELIEVABLY underrated pianist and composer.

[Snufkin999]

Thank you for posting this.

Can anybody understand the quote by Goethe in Italian during the fugue?

[JohnThePetru]

"My impression of Bach is that the Eternal Harmony amuse herself,something must have been similar in the breast of God just before the Creation"

if you need a better explenation, let me know :-)

(There could be few mistakes here and there  :-D)

[Snufkin999]

Thank you for the translation!

There definitely is something universal and divine about Bach's music.

[Alessandro1985]

my impression as though eternal harmony were conversing with herself; as it may have happened in god's bosom, shortly before he created the world.

[iguarni]

Questo capolavoro eseguito da un fenomeno del pianoforte è ben illustrata da Goethe. Altri commenti sono superflui!

[skyblue999]

Thank you very much for your posting.

What a precious video!

[flute1982]

where i can find out this score?

[phemt666]

You can find it on edizionicurci or breitkopf sites, if you don't want to pay try with peer to peer programs...

[dido93]

Bellissimo video...unico più che raro...

Michelangeli al massimo della forma...formidabile...

[karimmoubarak]

great! the maestro (his left handed ring) at his best. never erase this video.

[brianCIM]

god where the hell did you find this? astonishing. you made my morning. THANK YOU!!!

[frncgrc]

Thank phemt66 for presenting this memorable film...Really thanks!

[ToccodelDestino]

This is a real gem. I can't believe it!!

[phemt666]

When I've found it I can't believe it too :)

[DF5JT]

Didn't know he played the piece. This must be the first release of ABM playing this piece.

You must have a very good friend at the RAI archive. Hope there is more!