Sviatoslav Richter - Great Pianists of the 20th Century, Vol. 82

Franz Liszt (Composer), Modest Mussorgsky (Composer), Sviatoslav Richter (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Sviatoslav Richter
• Composer: Franz Liszt, Modest Mussorgsky
• Audio CD (November 10, 1998)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: Polygram Records / Philips
• ASIN: B00000DI3F
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #133,777 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. Pictures At An Exhibition: Promenade

2. Pictures At An Exhibition: Gnomus

3. Pictures At An Exhibition: Promenade

4. Pictures At An Exhibition: The Old Castle - Promenade

5. Pictures At An Exhibition: The Old Castle - Promenade (Continued)

6. Pictures At An Exhibition: The Tuileries Gardens

7. Pictures At An Exhibition: Bydlo

8. Pictures At An Exhibition: Promenade

9. Pictures At An Exhibition: Ballet Of The Chickens In Their Shells

10. Pictures At An Exhibition: Samuel Goldenberg And Schmuyle

See all 25 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. Piano Sonata No. 6 In A, Op. 82: 1. Allegro moderato

2. Piano Sonata No. 6 In A, Op. 82: 2. Allegretto

3. Piano Sonata No. 6 In A, Op. 82: 3. Tempo di valzer. Lentissimo

4. Piano Sonata No. 6 In A, Op. 82: 4. Finale. Vivace

5. Piano Sonata No. 7 In B Flat, Op. 83: 1. Allegro inquieto

6. Piano Sonata No. 7 In B Flat, Op. 83: 2. Andante caloroso

7. Piano Sonata No. 7 In B Flat, Op. 83: 3. Precipitato

8. Piano Sonata No. 8 In B Flat, Op. 84: 1. Andante dolce

9. Piano Sonata No. 8 In B Flat, Op. 84: 2. Andante sognando

10. Piano Sonata No. 8 In B Flat, Op. 84: 3. Finale. Vivace

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Purchase, August 3, 2000

By 

Gregory C. Dyer (Downingtown, PA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Sviatoslav Richter - Great Pianists of the 20th Century, Vol. 82 (Audio CD)

I bought this volume for the three Prokofiev sonatas, considering the recital on the other disk to be a bonus. After many listenings, this turned out to be one of the best musical purchases I've ever made.

Richter knew Prokofiev personally and was one of the best, if not THE best, interpreter of Prokofiev's music. In fact, Prokofiev entrusted Richter to publicly premiere his 7th sonata after listening Richter perform it for him personally. Add in the fact that sonatas 6, 7 and 8 were all conceived at the same time and fit together as a trilogy very nicely, and here's an ideal coupling. There may be another recording with these three sonatas and Richter floating around, but it's hard to beat getting the sonatas and the Sofia recital at the equivalent of mid-price.

The sound on the sonatas is good. The 6th sonata comes across very clearly. The 7th, especially in the 2nd movement, suffers a bit from a lack of dynamic range. The 8th sounds clear enough for one to hear an out of tune key on the piano. Any qualms that one may have concerning sound should be erased by Richter's pianism.

The highlights of the Sofia recital are a fiery performance of Pictures at an Exhibition and several pieces by Liszt. Unfortunately, there is background noise from the audience. Nonetheless, the sound of the piano remains wholly intact and vibrant, which is of far greater importance. The coughing in the background, realistically, doesn't disrupt the music unless one is listening with earphones. This is quite simply a great selection of music performed by a great pianist.

If you don't already own this cd, buy it. It's definitely worth it.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sensational!, March 16, 2001

By 

grandpiano_57 "James" (Burlington, CT USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Sviatoslav Richter - Great Pianists of the 20th Century, Vol. 82 (Audio CD)

This is an outstanding collection of classic performances. Pictures At An Exhibition is a perfect vehicle for the legendary pianist Richter whose command of color and expressive depth allows for an incredible rendition. Each picture is brought to life as this live performance finds Richter passionately at the peak of his powers. Historically, these performances hold a special place as a defining moment. Little momentum is lost as the set contains great performances of Schubert and Liszt masterpieces. Finally the 3 mature and powerful sonatas by Prokofiev on disc 2 are a tour de force. Richter combines his rhythmic genius and a very broad palate to definitively present these compelling works. This and the other 2 Richter volumes in this series are highly recommended.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Essential!, March 27, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Sviatoslav Richter - Great Pianists of the 20th Century, Vol. 82 (Audio CD)

There are some musicians that are almost always compelling. Richter and Horowitz at the piano, Coltrane on the sax, the Beatles ....they all bring a special insight that few others can. It is difficult to put "the best of Richter" on 2 CDs, but this set accomplishes the task well. These performances have been in and out of the catalog for years, inspiring hard-core fans to search the globe for elusive copies. Now is a great time to pick up this CD as you never know when these performances might disappear again. A review of the CDs is almost unnecessary...you can look on any classical CD forum and find fans gushing with the highest praise about the great Richter performances.