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

Rare video of Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli playing the Johann Sebastian Bach toccata & fugue in d minor bwv 565.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Arturo
• Benedetti
• Michelangeli
• ABM
• Johann
• Sebastian
• Bach
• BMW
• 565
• Toccata
• and
• Fugue
• in
• minor
• fuga
• re
• minore

[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.

[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.

[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 !!!

[iguarni]

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

[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!

[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.

[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.

[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(?)...