Michelangeli, the universal example of sprezzatura, effortless perfection and poetry combined with an unsurpassed technique.

Truly an inspirational artist. Pure motivation. Top quality at any cost, regardless of the marketing aspect that today strongly affects any artistic career. He's the proof that, at the very end, quality and dedication count, while other aspects that can make an artist's career successful don't overcome the time-barrier. Everybody should follow the magnificent example of this humble, extraordinary and totally art-devoted pianist

Michelangeli’s left hand is so strong; he captures the marvelous dialogues Beethoven writes between left and right hand, and the fullness and complexity of sound Beethoven gets when he gives both hands the full measure of his genius at the same time. This playing of Sonata No. 3 is fantastic. I heard Beethoven saying things in this piece that I’ve never heard before, despite having played and performed it numerous times! Wonderful composer; wonderful pianist!

This even knocks you out if you are a layman musically and piano technically. This lightness, this clarity, this absolute perfection. At the same time, the play is incredibly varied, there is no "absolving", no mechanical play, in everything there is emotion and expression, and as far as the latter is concerned, an extremely artistic one! I can only bow to such art and its implementation. Thank you for uploading.

His precise technique, accuracy and consistency make people think his playing is too dry, too lacking in emotion. It’s such nonsense and it comes from people who feel left behind by the genius of this man. You only have to watch the intensity in his face as he responds to the music. What would Beethoven have thought? He would have been thrilled at the opportunity presented to him to write impossibly difficult music, knowing he had someone available who would be up to the task of playing it.

God, it's those requirements of the left hand in seemingly all piano music--especially Mozart and Beethoven--that are the determinants of success. Michelangeli's Beethoven's 3rd is like a debate with a musician inside on a warm late spring night with fireplace and gin & tonic. It is so human.

A wonderful film with a (famously) excellent and much-praised interpretation. What you never saw in black and white videos: ABM (born 1920) had red hair!

Yeah, the first mvt really is the golden standard, to be honest. I've listened to so many, even professional, pianists (imo) butcher this piece, especially with the Sforzandos and general dynamics. Some parts simply aren't supposed to sound as lyrical as one might want, since that is not the intent that they were written for. I adore this interpretation as Michalengeli fully sticks to Beethoven's ideas

Cooler but perfect . His piano touch and his technique are absolutely gorgeous ! His hands look like Jesus hands, don't they ?

"and Michelangi was a party dude!" I have a picture of this man, in fact it's on every can of Pringles ever made.

Ci sono i bravi pianisti, poi ci sono i grandi pianisti, poi c'è Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli!...

I. Allegro con brio

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Love his relaxed tempo in the 1st movement. It allows the piece to breathe!

The days when such performances were shown on TV. Alas, no room for this anymore.

Das haut einem sogar dann um, wenn man musikalisch und pianotechnisch ein Laie ist. Diese Leichtigkeit, diese Klarheit, diese absolute Perfektion. Gleichzeitig ist das Spiel unglaublich variantenreich, da ist kein "Absolvieren", kein mechanisches dahinspielen, in allem ist Gemüt und Ausdruck, und was Letzteren betifft, was für einer! Ich kann mich nur verneigen vor solcher Kunst und ihrer Umsetzung. Danke herzlich für das Uploaden.

Sembra tutto semplice e banalmente scontato, ovvio e naturale: è questo il risultato della perfezione, e non è il risultato del caso. Dietro un'aria sprezzante c'è l'uomo che con spirito di sacrificio, ostinazione, dedizione e amore per la musica ci regala esecuzioni che non gridano, urlano, che non vogliono apparire; con umiltà e fedeltà Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli ci ha regalato esecuzioni da riferimento assoluto.

Dire eccellente mi pare riduttivo.... fa capire e amare la Musica anche a chi di Musica non capisce niente. Un artista e divulgatore di questa levatura, con un incredibile carisma, è una perfezione ineguagliabile nel trattare lo strumento ne nascono molto raramente. Unico straordinario e irraggiungibile.

Mi piange il cuore per non averlo mai potuto ascoltare dal vivo...

La perfection à tous les niveaux! technique infaillible interprétation magistrale! Un Grand et Merveilleux pianiste avec une grande sobriété