Customer Reviews

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

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

I first heard this recording in its vinyl release in 1960. Praise be to God that we are permitted to hear such genius. For all intent and purposes Richter recomposes Pictures. It is recogizable, but it is lifted in beauty and spirit. It is possibly the best musical performance ever recorded.

If you love great piano playing and care if your collection is complete, it isn't without this recording. I'm just reinforcing what others have said, but the Moussorgsky is one of the great piano performances *ever* -- I've owned this recording, on LP, since it became available about 40 years ago, and it still amazes me and I'm delighted to have it on CD, as my vinyl is shot. I suspect that had Horowitz heard this recording before he made his, he would have been smart enough not to bother.

The Prokofiev Sonatas are also unbelievable. Richter was such a combination of musicality and humanity, together with a superhuman ability to play the piano that in music that interested him, he was just about unbeatable. These performances are in that category. No one else need apply.

I also recommend the video "Richter, The Enigma" to those who value this genius as I do. Fascinating footage, including interviews with Artur Rubinstein, Glenn Gould and Nina Dorliac and film of Prokofiev and Dmitri Shostakovitch.

Richter's 1958 Sofia recital -- on the first of 2 CDs offered here -- has a good claim to be the greatest recorded recital of the century. His performance of the Mussorgsky Pictures rehabilitated the original piano version after years of neglect. The Liszt "Feux Follets" is legendary and still unequalled. The Chopin and Rachmaninov are excellent. But it is the two Schubert Impromptus that I listen to again and again. Richter comes as close as any human ever could to perfection in these little works.

Beyond the stunning "Pictures" and Liszt here, the three Prokofiev sonatas are landmarks. Prokofiev entrusted the public debut of the 7th sonata to Richter, which he learned in four days in 1943. Here's what Richter later said about the work. "We are plunged into the anxiously threatening atmosphere of a world that has lost its balance. Chaos and uncertainty reign. We see murderous forces unleased. . . . Now the full range of human emotions bursts forth. . . . In the tremendous struggle that this involes, we find the strength to affirm the irrepressible life-force." Richter, of course, had all the technique and power required to play this extremely difficult music. But what ultimately distinguishes these performances is his passionate evocation of the composer's world: Moscow in the dark, violent war years, when the end of civilization seemed entirely possible. Chilling and unforgettable.

Obviously this is a classic...and it's out of print??!!

I found it at a used record store for $12.00, and I think it hadn't even been opened. And now some people want $129 for it? Look around folks.

As far as the CD goes, the real stars are the Prokofiev pieces. Very commanding and stunning. The Mussorgsky is a mixed-bag. Richter starts off a little shaky, and there is some disturbing audience noise. But by the time he finishes he is in full command and the shaky start is totally forgotten.

Try to find this, but don't pay too much!

This hair-raising performance by Richter of Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition is, by itself, worth the price of the disk. The relatively poor quality of the live recording from the 1950s recital in Sofia is the only fault. Other performances of note on this recording are the Schubert Impromptus and the Prokofiev Sonata No. 6, all of which show Richter's beautiful fingerwork and compelling rhythmic sense. While some of the volumes in the Great Pianist's of the 20th Century series have been disappointing, this is one of the true gems.

I have been acquiring entries in Phillips' Great Pianists of the 20th Century since the first releases and I have heard almost a third of the 100 sets. Based on what I've heard, however, I cannot conceive of a more successful collection of piano pieces than the first of the Richter sets. These discs are replete with not only astonishing piano playing, but also the history of the 20th century. The first disc contains one of the first times Western listeners were able to hear Richter play:his legendary Sophia recital. Despite the less than perfect sound, listeners can hear Richter perform his magic on such disparate composers as Mussoursky and Schubert. On disc two, the listener sits in as Richter interacts with Prokofiev to bring three late sonatas to life. The basis for Richter's reputation as one of the great musicians of the 20th century awaits you here.