Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli - 1956 Concert in Lugano

Advantages: A discovery unforgettable
Disadvantages: Nothing

...(Rewrite on 09/07/2001) Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli (great italian "virtuoso") spent his life to search a kind of perfection during interpretations. He knew this perfection to be impossible but, for him, "perfection" was union between composer and player. Then,this perfection isn't impossible... Glenn Gould tryed the same sound by his pianos: in this way he was very careful to music structure: beauty of musical phrases, to give a geometrical "presence" to music a.s.o. Of course his Bach interpretations (but Beethoven and Mozart also), even if on a piano and not on a harpsichord or "fortepiano" , are excellent. Michelangeli is on the other side of the moon... His Chopin is mysterious, full of shadows and, in some compositions, unknowable. But, how does Michelangeli obtain this wonderful result? To answer it is simple and very... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Pure Elvis (the first live global satellite broadcast in history !)
Disadvantages: None what so ever !

...When Elvis finished his 'movie career' he decided that he needed to perform in concert again. He felt that he had lost touch with his fans and needed to get back to what was important, making music. This came in the form of the 1968 comeback special which was a huge success. He performed to a small informal audience with his original band members looking oh so sexy in black leather sang his classics and talked about his life and chatted with his band members and cracked jokes. Elvis was back. He then became a headliner again in Las Vegas and was determined to leave the movies behind him and perform to live audiences again. He was filmed in 1970 rehearsing and preparing for stage performances the footage was made into a documentary movie called 'That's the way it is' and people began to realise just what they had been missing when Elvis... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Timeless REAL soul music
Disadvantages: Only 10 tracks

...INTRO ---------- After 1980's rappers and The Smiths, James Brown is my other musical icon of choice. With a career in entertainment spanning his debut single release, "Please Please Please" in 1956 to his appearance with Will Young at this year's Olympic Torch Concert, only Cliff Richard could boast a career equal in longevity. Cliff, though, can't boast James Brown's critical kudos and influence. Of the 116 albums he's released, this effort - originally from 1981 - is one of 17 "best ofs" on the market! WHO IS HE? ------------------- Even if you don't know any of his music directly, the chances are that you'll have been affected indirectly by his vast 45 year output. For a start, he invented what used to be called "soul", that genre that put feeling and vocal passion before lyrics and image. He was 8 years ahead of Motown... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful