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He didn't like recording, describing the studio as "a torture chamber," but thankfully he did record and extensively, though his huge repertoire from Bach and Handel to Prokofiev, to Shostakovich and Britten, isn't fully reflected in his recorded legacy. The 19th and early 20th century romantics were his speciality.
During the years of the First World War, civil war and revolution combined to separate the baby boy from his parents who were in Odessa, his father teaching at the conservatory where he'd met and taught piano to Sviatoslav's mother Anna. Both father and son contracted typhus, so the younger Richter moved in with his aunt Tamara Meri, a gifted artist for four years, whilst his mother looked after his father in Odessa.
Richter was greatly influenced by his creative aunt and showed a strong interest in both music and painting which he did obsessively for the rest of his life from an early age. Richter's close bond with his Aunt Meri endured to her death in Literature was another passion. From the age of ten, Richter read voraciously: Gogol, Maeterlink, and eventually Marcel Proust took pride of place in his pantheon of writers.
Theatre and cinema became life-long interests and he loved to walk, covering 25 or 30 miles a day. In , the boy was reunited with his parents in Odessa where his father taught at the local conservatory. He was sidelined by the new Soviet professors after the war and forced to resign his position at the con, but continued to teach privately.
The German ambassador's son was one of his many pupils. Richter, who never considered himself a prodigy, was taught sporadically by his father who left his son free to develop his own piano technique. The boy had phenomenal sight-reading gifts, playing full operatic scores at a glance. I worked for three years in the Palace of Marines, and they then took me to the opera.
And the opera raised me. At the same time, in these years, his life-long passion for chamber music deepened, eventually finding an outlet in the festivals he established in La Grange de Meslay, France and the Pushkin Museum in Moscow. In , Richter decided to audition for the famous pianist and pedagogue Heinrich Neuhaus, who had studied with Scriabin and taught Emil Gilels, Radu Lupu and other prodigious talents at the Moscow conservatory.
Richter had seen Neuhaus give masterclasses in Odessa. At the audition Neuhaus thought the young Richter, a "musician of genius. Richter not only became Neuhaus's pupil. He also lived in his house. Neuhaus referred to Richter's method of learning a piece as 'all hands on deck! He brought a German punctuality to his practice regime.
If it was 2 hours 34 minutes, once the time was up, his practice was over. During the second world war, Richter gave his first public recital in Moscow in July He also played for the troops during the war. This was a period when his own repertoire preferences developed. When asked later why he didn't play some of the landmarks of piano literature he'd reply, "Oh, no, I shall never touch them.
When I have heard something played perfectly, I could not possibly take it up. Richter plays Bach here without embellishments, straightforward but thoroughly intimate. The second side of the disc is admirably perfect in its design: Schumann's Abegg Variations, his Opus 1, sounds polished and clear.
Richter scriabin prokofiev shostakovich biography full: On February 18, , Richter made his sole appearance as a conductor in the world premiere of Prokofiev's Symphony-Concerto for Cello and Orchestra in E minor, with Mstislav Rostropovich as the soloist.
Richter's sporadic collaboration with the EMI label began on the occasion of his tour of England and lasted until Recordings from the first two years document Richter as an outstanding interpreter of Robert Schumann: the C major Fantasy op. Richter takes Schumann literally when he uses the indication "as fast as possible" in the finale of the sonata; and he is also able to perfectly shape the increase in "faster" in the coda without playing over notes.
The EMI recordings of the two years have been released on two individual disks the first with the already mentioned Fantasie and Beethoven's Tempest Sonata, the second with the other two works by Schumann. Incidentally, the pianist had already proved himself to be a leading interpreter of Schumann with the recordings of the Waldszenen op.
Schubert was one of Richter's specialties; he played him frequently. As a listener, I often succumb to the idea that the romantic world of Schumann is closer to Richter than that of Schubert. In fact, his Schubert playing has often been criticized — it doesn't seem to be everyone's cup of tea. Richter often played Schubert very slowly.
Live recordings in particular prove that he was able to develop the first movement of the last sonata B flat major DV almost in slow motion. If the listener allows himself to be drawn into his Schubertian image, something highly impressive can emerge: Richter plays the unfinished C major Sonata DV in in a disjointed and cool but intense manner.
There are other records with Schubert sonatas from later years. Worth mentioning is one with the last sonata in B flat major DV from and one with live recordings of the middle sonatas DV and DV , recorded on the occasion of concerts in Tokyo in Every music lover must check for himself whether he finds Richter's Schubert interpretations accessible.
Richter always made it clear that his playing was committed to faithfulness to the original and the "New Objectivity. His interpretations of Beethoven's piano sonatas in particular reveal this range between sobriety in the slow movements and possible intensity and purposefulness, which can be heard with finger-technical perfection in the Allegro movements, for example.
There are numerous recordings of Beethoven's sonatas by this pianist. In addition to the already mentioned captivating interpretations of Beethoven's Sonatas Nos. Richter plays these relatively early sonatas all were composed in the 18th century with rhythmic freshness and makes the scores appear transparent, with little use of pedal.
In terms of sound, the recordings are not exactly exhilarating for the time. What is fascinating about these recordings with their good sound is how Richter is able to penetrate an "innocent" world in the first sonata F minor. Such an approach also characterizes his recordings of Haydn's sonatas. Richter's concept for the 7th sonata in D major seems less uniform.
He takes a streamlined, sober approach to the first movement. He approaches the finale with a dreamy undertone. Prokofiev, Rachmaninov, Scriabin, Shostakovich. Richter's pianistic skills made him a predestined interpreter of Prokofiev. Anyone who listens to one of his recordings of piano sonatas 6 to 9 or short piano pieces will hear perfect interpretations.
One critic wrote somewhat provocatively, but not without justification, that Richter is the only one who enters a philosophical dimension with Prokofiev. Richter's recordings of works by Russian composers Tchaikovsky and Mussorgsky have already been mentioned above are generally an excellent choice. It is also always rewarding to hear Richter in his few recordings of works by Alexander Scriabin.
A parenthetical remark: Vladimir Sofronitzsky — , a pianist who has remained unknown in the West, is rightly regarded as the Scriabin interpreter par excellence.
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Richter himself also holds this opinion. Sofronitzky plays Scriabin in a freer way than Richter. Nevertheless, it is worth listening to Richter's interpretations. The recording of six of the 24 Preludes and Fugues op.
Although the sound is poor, what is usually difficult to capture in the studio succeeds here: to conjure up the magic of this composer's music emanating from the keys. Richter usually only played individual Preludes in concerts, but not the entire collection. The already mentioned recital in Spoleto is one of the great moments of Richter's piano playing.
Unfortunately, the sound is rather poor. Incidentally, the last work on this disc — Prokofiev's 7th Sonata — is a recording from Moscow from , without this being noted! The primary quality of the recording lies in the orchestra's interplay with Richter under Kleiber's masterful direction. Soloist and orchestra listen to each other, both are highly inspired, the lyrical passages are magnificent, and Richter has moments of genius; listen to his introduction to the third movement.
The sound of this recording from June is not spectacular, but it is very coherent and beautiful. According to Sviatoslav Richter, however, neither he nor the conductor felt in the best of health during this recording. He is accompanied by the Orchestre de Paris under Lorin Maazel. The piano playing here is electrifying, and phenomenal in terms of fingering technique.
The pianist conveys this rhythmically very angular score without giving it too much harshness and sharpness. Richter also allows poetry to flash through this wild work in a variety of ways.
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It is probably one of Richter's best contributions to the music of the 20th century. Unfortunately, Maazel's accompaniment is rather matter-of-fact and remote. On the reverse side of the disc is Prokofiev's rarely heard 5th Piano Concerto with the same conductor and the London Symphony Orchestra. Richter is able to tame the "spiky" nature of this work, which was little appreciated by the composer himself.
Personally, however, I prefer the Warsaw recording with Rowicki mentioned above. It is regrettable that Richter only played the First and Fifth piano concertos of Prokofiev's piano concertos — he was well-acquainted with the composer, who also wrote sonatas for him. As in under Wislocki, Richter delivers a powerful and characterful interpretation of Schumann's concerto.
Von Matacic responds well to Richter's interpretation. The performance of Grieg's concerto seems less convincing to me. In my opinion, Richter is excessively romantic here, especially in the outer movements, and his playing also lacks freshness. Richter had a special affinity with the English composer Benjamin Britten. There are recordings mostly only on CD of four-hand piano music with Britten and Richter.
There is a recording of Britten's Piano Concerto op.
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This is undoubtedly the reference recording of the work. Nevertheless, it does not meet with general interest, as it is not an accessible work. Britten wrote better ones, such as the Violin Concerto, which can be found on the other side of the Decca record. In my opinion, however, it is never incorrect from the point of view of musical logic.
The four Scherzos by Chopin, recorded in , here in a pressing by Melodiya C Some examples of this can be found on recital records. Despite his technical brilliance, the pianist plays with great musicality, a wealth of color, and tonal beauty. Your Rating. Release Date May 8, Genre Classical. Styles Keyboard.
Discography Timeline See Full Discography. Brahms: Piano Concerto No. Sergey Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No. Beethoven: Concerto No. Prokofiev: Vol. Svjatoslav Richter spielt Mozart, Beethoven, Schumann, … Richter Live from Aldeburgh Sviatoslav Richter plays Prokofiev Richter Live In London Mozart: Concerto K. Haydn: Sonatas 40, 41, 44, 48, 52 - Teatro del Bibbiena… Beethoven: Op.
Sviatoslav Richter, Vol. Schumann: Noveletten, Op. Schumann: Fantasie, Op. Schubert: Piano Sonatas Nos. Liszt: Piano Concertos Nos. Sviatoslav Richter Plays Bach Bach: Well-Tempered Clavier Bach: Suite inglesi N. Bach: Suite Inglesi n. Bach: Suite francesi N. Alexander Scriabin: Symphony No. Prokofiev: Piano Sonatas Op. Tschaikowsky: Klavierkonzert Nr.
Richter in Wien Oleg-Kagan-Musikfest Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. Franz Schubert: Piano Sonata D. Richter in Recital Scriabin, Prokofiev, Shostakovich Schumann, Brahms Schubert: Lieder Richter - The Authorized Recordings: Bach Tchaikovsky: Concerto No. Rachmaninov: Concert… Tchaikovsky, M. Mussorgsky Mozart Haydn, Beethoven, Weber Chopin, Liszt Beethoven II Beethoven I Russian Treasure Richter did not speak to his mother again until shortly before her death nearly 20 years later in connection with his first US tour.
In , Richter met Nina Dorliak — , an operatic soprano. He noticed Dorliak during the memorial service for Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenko , caught up with her at the street and suggested to accompany her in recital. It is often alleged that they married around this time, but in fact Dorliak only obtained a marriage certificate a few months after Richter's death in She supported him in his final illness, and died herself less than a year later, on May 17, Since his death it has been suggested that Richter was homosexual and that having a female companion provided a social front for his true sexual orientation, because homosexuality was widely taboo at that time and could result in legal repercussions.
He never publicly discussed his personal life until the last year of his life when film-maker Bruno Monsaingeon convinced him to be interviewed for a documentary. He gave his first concerts outside the Soviet Union in Czechoslovakia in The title role was played by Boris Smirnov. On February 18, , Richter made his sole appearance as a conductor in the world premiere of Prokofiev's Symphony-Concerto for Cello and Orchestra in E minor, with Mstislav Rostropovich as the soloist.
In , even though he had a reputation for being "indifferent" to politics, Richter defied the authorities when he performed at Boris Pasternak 's funeral. In , Richter gave recitals in Budapest , Hungary. In , he again toured Czechoslovakia, then in , he toured China , then again performed in Prague, Sofia , and Warsaw.
Thus the West first became aware of Richter through recordings made in the s. One of Richter's first advocates in the West was Emil Gilels , who stated during his first tour of the United States that the critics who were giving Gilels rave reviews should "wait until you hear Richter. Richter's first concerts in the West took place in May , when he was allowed to play in Finland, and on October 15, , in Chicago, where he played Brahms 's 2nd Piano Concerto with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Erich Leinsdorf , creating a sensation.
In a review, Chicago Tribune music critic Claudia Cassidy , who was known for her unkind reviews of established artists, recalled Richter first walking on stage hesitantly, looking vulnerable as if about to be "devoured" , but then sitting at the piano and dispatching "the performance of a lifetime". Richter disliked performing in the United States.
In , Richter played for the first time in London. His first recital, pairing works of Haydn and Prokofiev , was received with hostility by British critics. Neville Cardus concluded that Richter's playing was "provincial", and wondered why Richter had been invited to play in London, given that London had plenty of "second class" pianists of its own.
Following a July 18, , concert, where Richter performed both of Liszt 's piano concertos, the critics reversed course. In , after searching in the Loire Valley, France, for a venue suitable for a music festival, Richter discovered La Grange de Meslay, several kilometres north of Tours. The festival was established by Richter and became an annual event.
In , Richter visited Japan for the first time, travelling across Siberia by railway and ship as he disliked flying. He visited Japan eight times. While he very much enjoyed performing for an audience, Richter hated planning concerts years in advance, and in later life took to playing at very short notice in small, most often darkened halls, with only a small lamp lighting the score.
Richter said that this setting helped the audience focus on the music being performed, rather than on extraneous and irrelevant matters such as the performer's grimaces and gestures. He had been suffering from depression due to an inability to perform caused by changes in his hearing that altered his perception of pitch.
In , Richter initiated the international December Nights music festival, held at the Pushkin Museum , which after his death in was renamed December Nights of Sviatoslav Richter. In , Richter embarked on a six-month tour of Siberia with his beloved Yamaha piano, giving perhaps recitals, at times performing in small towns that did not even have a concert hall.
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It is said that after one such concert, the members of the audience, who had never before heard classical music performed, gathered in the middle of the hall and started swaying from side to side to celebrate the performer. In his last years, Richter gave a few concerts for students that were free of charge February 14, Teatro Romea, Murcia, Spain, also March 1, matinee concert in Teatre Municipal, Girona, Spain.
An anecdote illustrates Richter's approach to performance in the last decade of his life. After reading a biography of Charlemagne he was an avid reader , Richter had his secretary send a telegram to the director of the theater in Aachen , Charlemagne's favoured residence city and his burial place, stating "The Maestro has read a biography of Charlemagne and would like to play at Aquisgrana Aachen ".
The performance took place shortly thereafter. Richter's last recorded orchestral performance was of three Mozart concerti in with the Japan Shinsei Symphony Orchestra conducted by his old friend Rudolf Barshai. The program consisted of two Haydn sonatas and Reger 's Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Beethoven , a piece for two pianos, which Richter performed with pianist Andreas Lucewicz.
As Richter once put it, "My repertory runs to around eighty different programs, not counting chamber works. Richter worked tirelessly to learn new pieces. Central to his repertoire were the works of Schubert, Schumann , Beethoven, J. Bach, Chopin, Liszt, Prokofiev and Debussy. He gave the premiere of Prokofiev's Sonata No.
Richter also conducted the premiere of Prokofiev's Symphony-Concerto for cello and orchestra. This was his sole appearance as a conductor. The soloist was Rostropovich, to whom the work was dedicated. Prokofiev also wrote his Cello Sonata in C for Rostropovich, and he and Richter premiered it in Richter himself was a passable cellist, and Rostropovich was a good pianist; at one concert in Moscow at which he accompanied Rostropovich on the piano, they exchanged instruments for part of the program.
Richter explained his approach to performance as follows: "The interpreter is really an executant, carrying out the composer's intentions to the letter. He doesn't add anything that isn't already in the work. If he is talented, he allows us to glimpse the truth of the work that is in itself a thing of genius and that is reflected in him.
He shouldn't dominate the music, but should dissolve into it. I know only how to reflect: I am a mirror Logic does not exist for me. I float on the waves of art and life and never really know how to distinguish what belongs to the one or the other or what is common to both. Life unfolds for me like a theatre presenting a sequence of somewhat unreal sentiments; while the things of art are real to me and go straight to my heart.