Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 5 "Emperor", Piano Sonata No. 32 - Claude Debussy: Images
9/1/2013, 9 Tracks, 1:18:59
Featuring
Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli
Václav Smetáček
Prague Symphony Orchestra
Ludwig van Beethoven
Claude Debussy
Did you know?
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Performer Biography
Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli, the pianist, gained a reputation as an unpredictable musician and a perfectionist with a select repertoire.
Performer Biography
Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli, the pianist on this album, was a child prodigy who learned both piano and violin at age four.
Interpretation
Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli's inimitable touch is recognizable by its pliable nature and the purity of his style, interpreting Beethoven with contrasts in tempi and clean, purified phrases.
Performer Biography
Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli, the pianist, was known for his worldly life, including being an airplane pilot, boat pilot, and ski champion.
Composition History
Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 5, 'Emperor', was dedicated to Archduke Rudolph, who provided Beethoven with protection during material problems.
Compositional Technique
Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 5, 'Emperor', opens with a large solo cadenza, giving the impression of an improvisation.
Notable Performances
Due to his deafness, Beethoven could not perform his Piano Concerto No. 5; it was premiered by Friedrich Schneider in Leipzig in 1811, and Carl Czerny gave the first performance in Vienna the following year.
