Sviatoslav Richter
Sviatoslav Richter was – in my view — one of the greatest Russian pianists of the twentieth century. He was born in the Ukraine, on March 20, 1915. The young Richter was essentially self-taught and developed his exceptional technique by playing whatever music he liked. By the age of eight he was playing opera scores, including the music of Richard Wagner. He had the ability to memorize any music at sight.
Richter grew up in Odessa, and Emil Gilels and David Oistrakh would later become Richter’s chamber-music partner. During these years he was a rehearsal pianist in Odessa. His debut as a soloist came on February 19, 1934. The program included the Chopin Ballade no. 4, Polonaise-fantasie, and E Major Scherzo, as well as a selection of Nocturnes, Etudes, and Preludes, all difficult pieces. The recital was a great success and Richter’s career as virtuoso was launched.
Richter’s first competition victory came in 1945. The jury was headed by Dmitri Shostakovich and included Emil Gilels. Richter took first prize. Shostakovich later wrote: “Richter is an extraordinary phenomenon. The enormity of his talent staggers and enraptures. All the phenomena of musical art are accessible to him.”
This CD features some of the great interpretations by Sviatoslav Richter:
Bach, J S:
- Keyboard Concerto No. 3 in D major, BWV1054
live recording Teatro Regio, Parma, October 1993
Orchestra di Padova e del Veneto, Yuri Bashmet
- Keyboard Concerto No. 7 in G minor, BWV1058
live recording Teatro Regio, Parma, October 1993
Orchestra di Padova e del Veneto, Yuri Bashmet
Mozart:
- Piano Concerto No. 25 in C major, K503
live recording Teatro Regio, Parma, October 1993
Orchestra di Padova e del Veneto, Yuri Bashmet
- Piano Sonata No. 16 in C major, K545 ‘Facile’
with freely added accompaniment for a second piano by Grieg
with Elisabeth Leonskaja (piano)
- Fantasia in C minor, K475
with freely added accompaniment for a second piano by Grieg
with Elisabeth Leonskaja (piano)
- Piano Sonata No. 15 in F major, K533/494
Schubert:
- String Quartet No. 14 in D minor, D810 ‘Death and the Maiden’
Borodin Quartet
Schumann:
- Piano Quintet in E flat major, Op. 44
Live recording with Borodin Quartet
Performed by Sviatoslav Richter, piano
He rarely went into a recording studio, so most of his recordings are live at concerts. Many of these recordings, particularly those from Soviet concerts, suffer from poor sound quality and excessive audience noise, but his playing had an electric quality that created attention wherever he performed.
Among Richter’s greatest recordings are his Schubert sonatas, Rachmaninov and Prokofiev concertos, Liszt concertos (these have the benefits of first-rate sound), and his Schumann music.
Here is Sviatoslav Richter playing “Pictures at an Exhibition” by Mussorgsky
Here is Sviatoslav Richter, performing Schubert’s Sonata in A major (1st movement), which was written when the composer was 22 years old. I was totally “blown away” by this marvelous performance
And here’s the conclusion of the Schubert first movement. Amazing playing!!!
Tags: Sviatoslav Richter, Schubert, Rachmaninoff, Bach, Mozart, Schumann