Customer Reviews

Richter, the Enigma [VHS]

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

By now most of you have heard about the famous ending of this remarkable film, in which a frail, gaunt, 80 year old Sviatoslav Richter looks into the camera and declares "I do not like myself. That's it." What's stunning about this statement is that it seems to come out of left field. Richter talks to the unobtrusive interviewer about his life, jokes around, discusses performances, talks about his contemporaries. These are intercut with videos of his unparalleled piano playing over the years. Everything seems fine.

Then, -boom- the admission. "I do not like myself." The film is silent for a minute or two afterwards, as the slow movement of Schubert's D960 sonata plays in the background. His eyes take on a blank expression. Richter puts his head in his hands. This is heartbreaking to watch. Then the film ends.

This 2.5 hour documentary was originally produced in two 75 minute parts in France. The two halves have been joined together (end credits roll after the first section) in an inelegant fashion, which disrupts the viewing experience a bit. But you won't care.

This is the most remarkable film about music I've seen about music in a long time. Along with those Famous Last Words, there are a number of great moments in this movie. Like Benjamin Britten, barely able to contain his glee form playing Mozart's Sonata #10 in a duet with Richter (Britten's smile at the end of the performance is almost worth the price of admission in itself.) Or seeing Glenn Gould's nutty analysis of Richter's playing. Or of the numerous contradictions in opinion the film loves to place side by side. Or hearing the harrowing story about his father's death.

There are other admissions as well. Haydn was preferred to Mozart. His favorite Schubert sonata was D 894 in G. He hated planning and would just as soon announce a concert a day or two in advance. He had no need for material wealth or common creature comforts (many artists *say* this, but how many of them would sleep happily underneath their teacher's piano night after night?)

This film had one curious side effect on me. Whenever I see a film or video about piano playing, it makes me practice my own playing a little more. Heck, even the recent silly Jim Brickman special on PBS got me to sit down a few extra hours. But after watching this film, which shows one towering, titanic performance after another, I could not bear to even look at my piano for several days.

I mean, after hearing Richter play, what was the point?

I would give this video more stars if I could--it is a truly astounding document for all. It is narrated by Richter himself as he talks about his life, performances, and experiences. Mosaingeon cleverly and artfully interweaves the narrative with rare home and archive footage, and many archive performances which are bound to leave the senses reeling! Included among other clips are Richter conducting in 1952, a Soviet propoganda film from the 50s showing Richter playing Chopin to dazzled television audiences, Richter playing in Warsaw with a funny cap on his head, etc etc etc. I felt dizzy with inspiration after watching this film. The 2.5+ hours are a steal at the price. Not just for Richter or music lovers but anyone....I have seen that even in public places this video has drawn quite a crowd which was understandably amazed. This just might be the video that will change your definition of "documentary." Jam-packed with substance!

This is an overwhelming experience. A fascinating portrait of one of the great artists of our time, it is beautifully crafted and is at turns poignant, witty, astonishing, and frustrating. If you love the piano, if you love music, if you admire Richter's recordings, then you must see this summary of his life. More importantly, if you have always been curious about his musical tastes and his personality, if you wanted to know more about him, hear his voice and look into his eyes, if you've always wondered what it is that separates a great artist from the legions of talented "performers", then this film is a revelation. Not because it provides an answer to those questions. It does not. It provides the converse. Just as Richter despised superfluous analysis, this film depicts how ultimately futile it is for us to attempt to understand the myriad influences and events that conspire to create an artistic genius of this proportion. We can no more understand Richter than we can understand a Mozart or a DaVinci or a Michelangelo. And the film makes it painfully clear that Richter himself, like many great artists, could not understand his gift. Unfortunately, due in large part to his perfectionism and self-criticism, his talent was both a gift and a curse. One has to wonder if he was ever truly happy, or if he understood the joy that his music brought to other people. Enigma indeed! Let us all simply be thankful that occasionally, through divine intervention or through random circumstances, the world is blessed with a human being of such complex beauty and individuality that analysis becomes irrelevant. They are simply a gift to humanity. Such was Richter.

Watching this film is quite an experiance. First and foremost, there is a cornucopia of concert footage; ear-opening performances of everyone from Schubert to Prokofiev, Haydn to Chopin, seemingly half the classical repetoire in fact. The legendary technical prowess, depth, and architectonic soundness of his playing are on full display here. But in addition this is a well-made and moving documentary, directed with intelligence and subtlety. An emaciated-looking Richter of 80-odd (already ill and close to death) reads from his journals, answers questions and reminisces. His life unfolds on the screen and we feel we get to know his personality somewhat, his likes and dislikes, idiosyncracies. Of course he remains an 'enigma'---the taproots of his genius remain obscure as with any other complex human being. But the idiosyncracies are fascinating. "Take a piano like you take fate," he says. When given a choice of pianos, he usually played badly, Richter says, but he played very well on some dreadful pianos. He was of mixed German-Russian parentage, and it may partly account for his indifference to politics that at various times some Russians claimed he was German, while Germans said he was Russian. I like the oppositions that Monsaingeon sets up. For instance, his wife maintains that he practiced 10-12 hours per day. Cut to Richter: No more than 3 hours per day. "Ten hours---nonsense!" Only if he had to learn a piece on short notice, he maintains. Again, Richter says that despite the praise, he played badly during his first American tour in 1961; very badly. Cut to Artur Rubinstein, rhapsodizing about seeing Richter for the first time on that tour: "It was fabulous! ...A sound of prodigious beauty...It brought tears to my eyes!" Also, though there was much that was tragic in Richter's life, there's also plenty of footage that indicates that he know how to have a good time, including a screamingly campy sequence of him playing Liszt in the Soviet film The Composer Glinka. This is a generous, multivalent film that one can get happily lost in. A great portrait of one of the two or three finest classical pianists of the 20th century.

This is a film which must be seen by admirers of the late pianist. It's packed with images, words (often in Richter's own voice - in Russian - and surprisingly, ON-CAMERA), and sounds. I am so glad to have this on video.

I only wish it were available on DVD in the USA.

I wanted to add a comment to Ed Ting's observation that the ending self-appraisal seemed out of left-field and heartbreaking.

This was an example of what we call filmmaker's license.

The context was missing. Richter was talking about a particular performance others liked and which he didn't. He didn't like himself in that particular performance, but the film made it seem he was talking about himself in general.

Now, one could say the filmmaker was trying to make a statement that Richter, whose moods could go up and down, did not at times like himself. Nevertheless, people go away thinking that he was really saying he didn't like himself, period. While Monsaingeon may have been hinting at what he considered a basic truth, it is still misleading as people tend to believe Richter really said this about himself specifically. Not so.

Nevertheless, this is one of the most gripping documentaries I have ever viewed. A very rich film.

In a few words this masterpiece lets itself describe, with honour and merit to what Richter deserves, but at the same time overloaded with superlatives for this whole concept.
I have quite a VHS-collection (between 500 and 600) of musicians (all genres), but this one beats everything: this film is "OUT OF CATEGORY" !!
The content of this VHS is about 1 of the 2 TITANS ever of the piano: Emil Gilels, whom Richter studied with at Moscow under Neuhaus, is the second one.
Concerning the film I will not spoil WHAT you will get to see and hear, but the makers of this 'movie' have well elaborated their theme. I will always be grateful to them: S. Richter is about - what is called in the European classic music world - the last Lisztian performer at the piano. Only Franz LISZT himself is in the neighbourhood when Svjatoslav Richter is touching his piano... As always with Richter his 'legato' playing (at Moscow he chose for legato, leaving 'the rest', meaning assai playing was more the style of Emil Gilels) keeps astonishing the listener. I was very pleased ànd surprised that the editors have been able to find that much rare footage: this pianist lived under Stalin and the Sovjetregime...
I have no problem to say that this VHS is A "REAL" MUST for all those who love the piano 'singing'. If you can, than also buy or listen to the triple CD that contains Richters pianowork as you can hear playing at the VHS. The experiences are not the same (different means!), but I can assure you that both are VINTAGE PRODUCTS.
P.S.: For those who are not acquainted with the word "Lisztian", it means more or less that the pianist can still perform in the style of the great virtuoso Franz Liszt was himself. Only a good dozen (Richter, Gilels, Horowitz, Michelangeli, Fischer, Arrau, Backhaus,...) may wear this title since Paderewski and Cortot.

I loved this video, but it was painful to see Richter as a frail, depressed, old man. The video footage of him throughout his life was riveting. I missed a lot of the subtitles, because I couldn't keep my eyes off of his beautiful face. He seemed to have such a joyous spirit, which came across in his playing.

The video is an amazing achievement. It gives the viewer a sense of what Richter was like through his own words and music. He endured some harsh difficulties in his life, but he never lost focus of what was important to him. What a great example for all of us. I miss him even more now that I've seen the video.

Superb artful and scholarly documentary film by Bruno Monsaingeon. Richter reveals much about himself and the times in his own words as an understated background for an enormous range of piano artistry and repertoire. The playing is truly beyond belief! I also felt dizzy with inspiration after experiencing this film. From Bach, Haydn, Schubert, Beethoven, Chopin, Debussy/Ravel, to Prokofiev he totally commands the piano with a purity and trueness revealing him as the greatest pianist of the 20th century.

I think this film is one of best documentary films ever made. Every moment is thoughtfully directed and elaborated. Very skillful editing and beatiful cinematography are also excellent.