Michelangeli

Name: Michelangeli
ISBN: 9787552307634

皮耶罗·拉塔利诺 / 陆辛耘Shanghai Music Publishing House · ChinaJan 2022

3.8

Word count: 119K words
Chapters: 30
ISBN: 9787552307634

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Summary

Part of the “Great Pianists” series, this book not only tells each pianist’s life story from a distinctive angle but also analyzes the repertoire and styles they excelled in, with rare performance programs and discographies. Translated by the renowned Chinese translator Lu Xingeng, Michelangeli introduces the pianist’s flawless technique and enigmatic temperament. In his performances he broke free from every previous manner of playing, subordinating his musical personality to the music’s own content and perfectly expressing its depth and essence.

Rich in detailed material and written with wit and humor, the book can be consulted and cited by piano professionals and students, and is equally suited to any beginner with an interest in the piano who wants to understand the styles and works of the great pianists—essential reading for anyone new to classical music.

Editor's review

Michelangeli is not a conventional musician’s biography but a penetrating psychological portrait by the renowned Italian music critic Piero Rattalino. Its greatest value lies in not dwelling on lurid anecdotes about the legendary technique and eccentric temper of this “pianist-hermit,” but in calmly and restrainedly probing the core of Arturo Benedetto Michelangeli’s artistic philosophy—an almost obsessive, ascetic pursuit of the “perfect sound.” Drawing on extensive performance records, student interviews, and historical documents, Rattalino reveals how Michelangeli elevated piano playing from “expressing oneself” to the metaphysical level of “presenting the work itself,” and how each of his famous concert cancellations was grounded in an uncompromising adherence to artistic standards. Reading this book, readers will understand why his recordings are so few yet have become classics, and why he is both a summit revered by fellow musicians and a mystery inaccessible to the general public. For serious music lovers, it is a key to the highest aesthetic standards of twentieth-century piano art.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Serious classical music lovers who wish to go beyond casual listening
Piano students and teachers seeking insight into the philosophy of performance
Readers in the humanities interested in artists’ inner worlds and creative psychology
Readers who appreciate cool, objective, insightful biographical writing

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking only gossip or light entertainment
Beginners with little basic knowledge of classical music or listening experience

Reading tips

Listen alongside representative Michelangeli recordings (e.g., Debussy, Ravel, Scarlatti) and compare the book’s analyses with his tonal control
Read in contrast with more traditional musician biographies to appreciate Rattalino’s distinctive critic’s perspective and style
Focus on the core chapters on “cancelled performances,” “teaching,” and “recordings,” which are key to understanding his artistic personality

About the publisher

Shanghai Music Publishing House China · Founded in 1956

Shanghai Music Publishing House focuses on music and dance books and textbooks, with a brand identity built around piano literature and music classics. Its catalogue of about 592 titles includes categories such as film and television and theory. Representative works include the Norton series on music history by period—Twentieth-Century Music, Romantic Music, Classical Music and Baroque Music—as well as Feinberg on the Art of Piano Playing, A History of European Music and Beethoven's Symphonies: An Artistic Vision. Its contributors include authors and scholars such as Philip Downs, Leon Plantinga, Robert Morgan and Richard Hoppin, along with translators and scholars Liu Danni, Chen Hongduo, Gan Fangmeng and Liang Qing. The press emphasizes translations of Western music scholarship while also supporting Chinese-language writing on music history and theory, giving its list a core strength in period histories, style histories and performance art; public information on other areas is limited.

版权信息
阿尔图罗·贝内代托·米凯兰杰利
天使长的飞翔
战后的世界
战后的意大利
竞赛
日内瓦
格里格：现实与非现实
摆设的美学
镜子的美学
天使长的地面之旅
职业生涯初期
两个谜团
狮身人面像
莫扎特与古典主义作品
现代主义作品
浪漫主义作品
肖邦
永恒的古典精神
晚期风格
终曲
演奏曲目
唱片和录像信息
唱片信息注释
唱片标签索引
唱片标签注释
地点索引
音乐家索引
乐团索引
“阿尔图罗·贝内代托·米凯兰杰利”资料中心

FAQ

Is this the authoritative biography of Michelangeli?

It is not an exhaustive, year-by-year biography but a deeply evaluative portrait by a leading critic. Its authority lies in its insight into the nature of the art, not in the accumulation of biographical data. The author Rattalino’s identity as a critic allows for analysis focused more sharply on artistic ideas.

Do I need advanced musical knowledge to understand it?

The book has some depth, but the author writes clearly and argues logically. Basic familiarity with classical music and some listening experience are enough to follow it. Technical terms and works mentioned are given appropriate background, and the core is understanding his artistic ideas rather than technical details.

Which aspects of Michelangeli does the book mainly cover?

The book centers on his artistic philosophy: his pursuit of the “perfect” sound, the reasons behind his very few public performances and recordings, his exacting teaching methods, his tense relations with record companies and the music world, and how all this together shaped the image of one of the most legendary and controversial pianists of the twentieth century.

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About the author

皮耶罗·拉塔利诺 Author

Piero Rattalino is an author known for writing biographies of pianists. Public information about him is limited, and his nationality, dates of birth and death, and educational background are not clearly documented. Thirteen of his works are held in the collection, most notably the twelve-volume series Great Pianists, along with dedicated biographies of Horowitz, Gould, Rachmaninoff, Brendel, Rubinstein, Michelangeli, and Backhaus. These works are generally classified under general biography, with some touching on theory and film and television, reflecting the author's sustained attention to the twentieth-century piano performance tradition. Rattalino's writing focuses on the lives, artistic styles, and recorded legacies of his subjects. Aimed at general music readers, it is plain in language and combines historical sources with anecdotes, offering Chinese readers an accessible and systematic introduction to the history of piano performance.

陆辛耘 Author

Lu Xinyun is a Chinese book author about whom public information is limited; her writing centers on the lives and art of Western classical musicians. Six of her works are held in the collection, most notably the twelve-volume "Great Pianists" series, alongside separate biographies of pianists such as Glenn Gould, Rachmaninoff, Brendel, Michelangeli, and Paderewski. Classified mainly under general biography and film and television, these works show an author skilled at tracing musicians' life stories and performing styles through biography. Based on the available material, Lu Xinyun's writing emphasizes the integration of historical sources and character portrayal, aimed at general readers interested in classical music and piano art. Through a volume-by-volume format she introduces the artistic profiles of different pianists in a fairly systematic way, making an ongoing contribution to popularizing musical biography.