Michelangeli

[HT]

It's said that Michelangeli ended 7th in 1938 in Geneva because of one member of the jury. Is that true? If so, does anyone know who that member was?

Henk

[MELMOTH]

Ce cher mammifère du nom de HT - nous susurrait, le mardi 08/08/2017,
dans nos oreilles grandes ouvertes mais un peu sales tout de même, et
dans le message <omc9bq...@hamster.local.invalid>, les doux mélismes
suivants :

> It's said that Michelangeli ended 7th in 1938 in Geneva because of one member
> of the jury. Is that true? If so, does anyone know who that member was?

*DK*...

--
Car avec beaucoup de science, il y a beaucoup de chagrin ; et celui qui
accroît sa science accroît sa douleur.
[Ecclésiaste, 1-18]
MELMOTH - souffrant

[JohnGavin]

TD😜

[JohnGavin]

Here is Michelangeli performing the piece composed for the 1939 Geneva Competition- he won the Gold - Marescotti’s Fantasque. He was 20 at the time of this recording.


https://youtu.be/kwpfUuooZMs

[Bozo]

>On Friday, June 7, 2019 at 11:45:49 AM UTC-5, HT wrote:
> It's said that Michelangeli ended 7th in 1938 in Geneva because of one member of the jury. Is that true? If >so, does anyone know who that member was?

No, but perhaps it was Rubinstein if this Wiki entry is correct, although the source of the Rubinstein quote is NOT given :

"Born in Brescia, Italy, he began music lessons at the age of three, initially with the violin, but quickly switched to the piano. At eleven he entered the Milan Conservatory, graduating three years later at fourteen. In 1938, at the age of eighteen, he began his international career by entering the Ysaÿe International Festival in Brussels, Belgium, where he was placed seventh. A brief account of this competition, at which Emil Gilels took first prize and Moura Lympany second, is given by Arthur Rubinstein, who was one of the judges. According to Rubinstein, Benedetti Michelangeli gave "an unsatisfactory performance, but already showed his impeccable technique." A year later he earned first prize in the Geneva International Competition, where he was acclaimed as "a new Liszt" by pianist Alfred Cortot, a member of the judging panel, which was presided over by Ignacy Jan Paderewski."

[JohnGavin]

. According to Rubinstein, Benedetti Michelangeli gave "an unsatisfactory performance, but already showed his impeccable technique." A year later he earned first prize in the Geneva International Competition, where he was acclaimed as "a new Liszt" by pianist Alfred Cortot, a member of the judging panel, which was presided over by Ignacy Jan Paderewski."

_————_—-_———————————————————————
Not surprising as Rubinstein was an interpretive centrist, ABM was not. His recording of the Paganini Vars. From 1942 for EMI is miraculous IMO. Cortot, on the other hand sought out the extraordinary and transcendent in the music he played, so again not surprising that he was enthusiastic about the young Michelangeli.

An interesting comparison would be Rubinstein and ABM in the Brahms Ballades op. 10. I find R to fit the conventional idea of how Brahms should be played, yet I find Michelangeli to be far more memorable.

[Bozo]

>On Saturday, June 8, 2019 at 11:16:51 AM UTC-5, JohnGavin wrote:
> An interesting comparison would be Rubinstein and ABM in the Brahms Ballades op. 10. I find R to fit the >conventional idea of how Brahms should be played, yet I find Michelangeli to be far more memorable.

Agreed, I have both in that Op.10. ABM's Op.10 almost sui generis.

[Bozo]

>On Friday, June 7, 2019 at 11:45:49 AM UTC-5, HT wrote:

> It's said that Michelangeli ended 7th in 1938 in Geneva because of one member of the jury. Is that true? If >so, does anyone know who that member was?

Some additional "research " :

"In June 1938, at the age of 18, Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli took part to the Second International Music Contest of Bruxelles, dedicated to the memory of the Belgian violinist Eugène Ysaye. The inaugural competition had been open only to violinists, and it was won by David Oistrakh. Emil Gilels won the second competition, devoted to the piano, and Benedetti Michelangeli came only seventh (first among the Italian competitors). It seems that Rubinstein himself gave poor marks to Benedetti Michelangeli, and that an Italian juror even gave a nought. However, Queen Mother Elizabeth of Belgium, who sponsored the contest, could not help noticing Benedetti Michelangeli's bravura. After a private concert at Court in Lechen, where Benedetti Michelangeli accompanied the Queen Mother, a violinist herself, she awarded the young pianist with a special gift, a pair of cuff-links with diamonds, in the shape of sevens. Seven, she addressed him, will be your lucky number."

http://www.musiciansgallery.com/tribute/michelangeli/arturo_benedetti.htm

A list of possible juror "culprits" from the 1938 Competition; Schnabel student Zecchi ? :

Laureates
1. Emil GUILELS [Former USSR]
2. Mary JOHNSTONE [United Kingdom] ( Not Lympany as the Wiki states )
3. Jakob FLIER [Former USSR]
4. Lance DOSSOR [United Kingdom]
5. Nivea MARINO-BELLINI [Uruguay]
6. Robert RIEFLING [Norway]
7. Arturo BENEDETTI-MICHELANGELI [Italy]
8. André DUMORTIER [Belgium]
9. Rose SCHMIDT [Germany]
10. Monique YVER DE LA BRUCHOLLERIE[France]
11. Marcella BARZETTI [Italy]
12. Colette GAVEAU [France]

Jury
Victor BUFFIN DE CHOSAL [president]
Vytautas BACEVICIUS
Arthur BLISS
Robert CASADESUS
Marcel CIAMPI ( a Frenchman )
Jean DOYEN
Samuel FEINBERG
Paul FRENKEL
Emile FREY
Ignaz FRIEDMAN
Walter GIESEKING
Siegfried GRUNDEIS
Bernard HEINZE
Léon JONGEN
Raoul KOCZALSKI
Arthur LEMBA
Marcel MAAS
Nicolaï ORLOFF
Pierre PETRIDES
Jekabs PORUKS
Arthur RUBINSTEIN
Walter RUMMEL
Victor SCHIOLER
Olga SAMAROFF-STOCKOWSKY
André STOYANOFF
Arne VAN ERPEKUM SEM
Emil VON SAUER
Olof WIBERGH
Carlo ZECCHI

http://www.cmireb.be/concours2/documents/palmares1937201319863.pdf

[JohnGavin]

Here is an interesting occurrence. This is the jury for the 1st Rubinstein Piano Competition in 1974 (Gold Medal - Emanuel Ax)

Guido Agosti, Italy
Enrique Barenboim, Israel
Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli, Italy
Jacques Fevrier, France
Henri Gagnebin, Switzerland
Eugene Istomin, USA
Mindru Katz, Israel
Irving Kolodin, USA
Arthur Rubinstein, Poland
Pnina Salzman, Israel
Michal Smoira-Cohn, Israel
Alexander Tansman, France
Dieter Weber, Austria

[HT]

Dear Steve,

Thanks for the information. It must have been Zecchi who gave Michelangeli "nought". The article you pasted quotes Rubinstein's second biography (p. 439-40). Interesting is that Rubinstein calls Gilels (the winner) his "young protégé from Odessa".

Henk

[AB]

On Friday, 7 June 2019 14:06:40 UTC-4, JohnGavin wrote:
> Here is Michelangeli performing the piece composed for the 1939 Geneva Competition- he won the Gold - Marescotti’s Fantasque. He was 20 at the time of this recording.
>
>
> https://youtu.be/kwpfUuooZMs

with a doubt he was the most talented of the pianist. the clarity of his playing is what made him so great.

AB

[Bozo]

>On Saturday, June 8, 2019 at 12:46:07 PM UTC-5, HT wrote:
> Dear Steve,Thanks for the information. It must have been Zecchi who gave Michelangeli "nought". The >article you pasted quotes Rubinstein's second biography (p. 439-40). Interesting is that Rubinstein calls <Gilels (the winner) his "young protégé from Odessa".

Zecchi 18 years older in 1938 , but perhaps Zecchi sensed a rival ? And ABM went to Milan Conservatory, Zecchi taught at Santa Cecilia in Rome.

I see Rubinstein liked to take credit where not always due, like Trump.

[HT]

> Zecchi 18 years older in 1938 , but perhaps Zecchi sensed a rival ? And ABM went to Milan Conservatory, Zecchi taught at Santa Cecilia in Rome.

According to this link it was Zecchi who gave the "nought". The link also says that Moura Lympany (2nd place) believed that Michelangeli had problems with the concerto composed Absil (an unknown concerto all finalists had to perform with orchestra after one week).

Not a very easy concerto. Here performed by Dumortier, the finalist from Belgium:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7M6mWfSpP5o

Henk

[HT]

Op zaterdag 8 juni 2019 23:42:37 UTC+2 schreef HT:

THE MISSING LINK:

http://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/arturo-benedetti-michelangeli_(Dizionario-Biografico)/

Henk

[Bozo]

>On Saturday, June 8, 2019 at 5:36:47 PM UTC-5, HT wrote:
> THE MISSING LINK:
> http://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/arturo-benedetti-michelangeli_(Dizionario-Biografico)/

Thanks,Henk. Apart from the difficulties, the Absil PC is a wonderful work ,deserves to be heard, especially at only 15 minutes !

About composer Absil :

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_Absil

Per Wiki :

“Absil gained international prominence with the premiere of his first piano concerto (op. 30), composed for the 1938 Queen Elizabeth Competition for Piano (Ysaye), for which it was the compulsory piece for all finalists. Only one of those, Moura Lympany, who won second prize (after Emil Gilels), performed the piece entirely from memory mistake free. “

Interesting Lympany said ABM had “difficulty” with the Concerto, yet Rubinstein, while saying ABM’s performance(s) were “ unsatisfactory “, also said ABM’s technique was “ impeccable “ . And Zecchi may have given “impeccable” technique ABM a “ 0 “ ?

Gilels,Flier did not have “ difficulty “ , but ABM did, whatever the difficulty was ? I have not read Lympany’s autobiography where she apparently makes the remark , per your link.

Who knows, of course, but I wonder if Zecchi,Lympany,Rubinstein doth protest too much ? A reminder of Godowsky’s alleged remark to Elman at Heifetz’ Carnegie debut ?

[Bozo]

I did not care much for Absil's PC # 2 ( also at YT ) , but his PC # 3 was worth a hearing, fww : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdBpA7JFo0U

[Bozo]

>On Saturday, June 8, 2019 at 11:42:11 AM UTC-5, Bozo wrote:
> Some additional "research " :

> Laureates
> 1. Emil GUILELS [Former USSR]
> 2. Mary JOHNSTONE [United Kingdom] ( Not Lympany as the Wiki states )
> 3. Jakob FLIER [Former USSR]

Turns out Dame Moura Lympany's birth certificate name was actually Mary Johnstone. Interesting life , but several tragedies, her Guardian obit here:

https://www.theguardian.com/news/2005/mar/31/guardianobituaries.artsobituaries

I've yet to check archives here for recommended recordings , as I have none of hers.Anyone here care to suggest ? TIA.