The "Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli"
Documentation Centre
- Cultural association -

 

(Photo by Ghitta Carell)

Immediately after the death of Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli, who passed away in Lugano on 12th June 1995, the initiatives to his memory multiplied throughout the world. However, this commemorative fervour, very often linked to concert events or discographic releases of high artistic value, was not followed by a systematic scientific project for safeguarding those historic testimonies capable of documenting the Maestro's biography, career and professional activity. Nothing comparable, therefore, to the massive attention and the impressive volumes of writings that were dedicated, for example, to another protagonist of the keyboard, the Canadian Glenn Gould, who was gratified by a truly extraordinary posthumous fortune. Consequently, if, from then, nothing were done in Italy and in Europe to arouse the renewed interest of scholars, musicians and enthusiasts, even a giant such as Benedetti Michelangeli could run the risk before very long of being neglected or underestimated by historiography and by musical critics.

For this reason, in the spring of 1999, the "Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli" Documentation Centre was set up in Brescia, and has now become an international point of reference for the collection of sources and authentic testimonies concerning the Maestro, and for publishing books, studies and essays on his art. Directed by Stefano Biosa and Marco Bizzarini, the Centre aims to collect, catalogue, and, wherever necessary, translate into Italian or into foreign languages bibliographical material on the piano art of Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli, namely books, essays, articles (previews and reviews of concerts, interviews), dissertations. This organization also collects testimonies (anecdotes and souvenirs of musicians, friends, acquaintances) and acquires photographs, theatre-bills, concert programmes, and published and unpublished audio and video recordings of concerts and interviews.

With the active participation of the "Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli" Centre two important monographs have recently been published in Italy: - Lidia Kozubek, Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli, Italian translation and editing by Marco Bizzarini, discography by Stefano Biosa, Palermo, L'Epos, 2003;
- Cord Garben, Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli, Italian translation by Lore Seuss, textual revision by Stefano Biosa and Marco Bizzarini, Varese, Zecchini, 2004 (with attached CD containing the unpublished recording of the rehearsal of the Concert KV466 by Mozart on two pianos and the verbal explanations of the Maestro).

On 15th November 2003 the Centre organized a one-day study on The piano art of Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli in cooperation with Teche Rai, Province of Brescia and Fondazione Civiltà Bresciana; among the speakers invited were such well-known experts as Sergio Sablich and Luca Chierici. A rare film by the RAI (Italian Broadcasting Corporation) dating back to the late Fifties was shown during the event. The promotional activities concerned two cities of great importance in the biography of Michelangeli: Bolzano, where for many years the Maestro held the chair of Pianoforte at the Conservatory, and Lugano, the city he moved to at the end of the Sixties. In November 2003 at the Trevi Centre in Bolzano an Italian preview was given of the video recording of a celebrated concert in Lugano dating back to 1981.

In April 2004 the Polish pianist Lidia Kozubek, former pupil of the Maestro, held a commemorative concert in the Church of St. Rocco in Lugano and, together with the editors of the Italian edition, illustrated the features of her monograph, all enhanced by the showing of rare and unpublished images.

In March 2005, on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of Michelangeli's death, the Centre organized two meetings in order to honour Michelangeli, in Brescia (Teatro Sancarlino) and in Bolzano (Conservatorio "Claudio Monteverdi"), including a lecture - with musical examples at the piano - given by Cord Garben, as well as the presentation of his recent book and the screening of an exceptional film of the Maestro.

On 26th May 2005 the Centre promoted an event in London in cooperation with the Italian Cultural Institute. The Italian pianist Isacco Rinaldi, former Michelangeli's pupil, paid tribute to his Maestro performing music by Mozart, Chopin, Debussy and Ravel. The concert was preceded by the screening of a rare documentary dedicated to the Piano Master Class held in 1959 by Michelangeli in Arezzo.

On 12th June 2005 another special event was organized at the Auditorium of Milan, in cooperation with the Fondazione Orchestra Verdi.

We would like to thank in advance all those who may wish to inform us of any articles and reviews, published in Italy or abroad, on Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli.

For information on how to become a member of the Centre, please contact: