Sviatoslav Richter

[Dancing Divertimentian]

Or, alternatively, what are the absolutely essential recordings (say top 10) to get?

Top ten...that's a tough one but my list might look something like this, in no particular order:


1. Schumann Symphonic Etudes (Olympia/Alto)
2. Prokofiev sixth sonata on the RCA "Rediscovered" disc posted above
3. Liszt selections (Praga, although I don't think this has been reissued yet)
4. Schumann concerto (DG)
5. Schubert sonata D.840 'Unfinished' (Monitor)
6. Various solo Rachmaninov scattered all over (Olympia/Alto, Praga, DG, BBC Legends)
7. Beethoven sonata Op.111 (Brilliant, although the Music & Arts issue has better sound but it's long OOP)
8. Scriabin (Praga, DG, Parnassus)
9. Shostakovich Op.87 selections (Philips/Decca and Supraphon)
10. Mozart sonata K.310 (Philips/Decca)

Not all these are in print but most are.

Here's an image of the Schubert D.840 I mentioned (not in print):





And the Music & Arts Beethoven Op.111:

[Holden]

A top ten (?) of sorts from my perspective

any of his Rachmaninov - he is peerless in this repertoire

Richter in Leipzig (late LvB)

Live in Tokyo Schubert D784 D899

Live in Moscow 1959 LvB 8 $ 23

His Haydn sonatas

Schubert Wanderer Fantasy w Dvorak PC

Any of his Debussy

Chopin Scherzi

Prokofiev Sonatas

......and finally the recording of his I listen to most, the WTC (I prefer the RCA version).

There are many others but these were the ones that came to mind as I read your post.

I'd like to suggest that you get hold of Bruno Monsaignon's excellent Richter bio on DVD "Richter the Enigma". You'll hear a lot of his playing that might give you some more ideas.

[Pat B]

Live in Moscow 1959 LvB 8 $ 23

FTR this is included in the Melodiya set I mentioned. One way or another, anybody who collects Richter should have this disc (it also has some bagatelles and the Choral Fantasy sung in Russian).

[Mandryka]

Here's 10  Richter recordings I remember enjoying a lot

Ravel Trio with kagan
Beethoven and Mozart Violin sonatas with Kagan
Winterreise with Schreier
Schumann Marchenbilder with Bashmet
Beethoven Op 14s on BBC Legends
Hindermith Suite 1922 (Philips)
Homage a Rameau in Hungary box
Ravel Valses in Hungary Box
Mozart K310 on Philips (late London recital)
Chopin Mazurkas (BBC Legends)

[George]

Anyone know how much of this has been released before?



Richter Plays Schubert

CD 1
Sonata No. 6 in E minor, D. 566
1 I. Moderato – 7.19
2 II. Allegretto – 6.55
3 III. Scherzo. Allegro vivace – 5.45
4 IV. Rondo, D. 506 – 5.27
Sonata No. 11 in F minor, D. 625
5 I. Allegro – 6.46
6 II. Scherzo. Allegretto – 4.32
7 III. Adagio, D. 505 – 4.03
8 IV. Allegro – 6.03
Sonata No. 13 in A major, D. 664
9 I. Allegro moderato – 11.42
10 II. Andante – 5.48
11 III. Allegro – 6.39

Recorded at the Grand Hall of the Moscow Conservatory on October 18, 1978

CD 2
Sonata No. 18 in G major, D. 894
1 I. Molto moderato e cantabile – 25.27
2 II. Andante – 7.24
3 III. Menuetto. Allegro moderato – 4.06
4 IV. Allegretto – 13.20
Sonata No. 6 in E minor, D. 566
5 I. Moderato – 7.03
6 II. Scherzo. Allegro vivace – 5.38
7 III. Allegretto – 7.27

Recorded at the Grand Hall
of the Moscow Conservatory on May 2, 1978

CD 3
Sonata No. 9 in B major, D. 575
1 I. Allegro ma non troppo – 8.26
2 II. Andante – 5.28
3 III. Scherzo. Allegretto – 6.03
4 IV. Allegro giusto – 4.43
Sonata No. 19 in C minor, D. 958
5 I. Allegro – 11.32
6 II. Adagio – 8.22
7 III. Menuetto. Allegro – 3.37
8 IV. Allegro – 8.48

Recorded at the Grand Hall of the Moscow
Conservatory on June 8, 1979 (1–4), October 6, 1971 (5–8)

CD 4
1 Scherzo No. 2 in D flat major, D. 593 – 6.05
2 Andante in A major, D. 604 – 4.46
3 4 Landlers from D. 366 in the order: D. 366/1 A major – D. 366/3 A minor – D. 366/5 A minor – D. 366/4 A minor – D. 366/5 – D. 366/4 – D. 366/1 – 5.36
4 Allegretto in C minor, D. 915 – 7.16
Moments musicaux, D. 780
5 No. 1 Moderato, C major – 5.38
6 No. 3 Allegro moderato, F minor – 2.04
7 No. 6 Allegretto, A flat major – 12.00
8 2 Ecossaises from D. 734 and 4 Ecossaises from
D. 421 in the order: D. 734/1 A minor – D. 734/2
A major – D. 734/1 – D. 734/2 – D. 421/1 A flat major –
D. 421/3 E flat major – D. 421/1 – D. 421/2 А flat major – D. 421/1 – D. 421/6 A flat major – 2.54
9 2 German Dances from D. 790 in the order: D. 790/8
A flat minor – D. 790/11 А flat major – D. 790/8 – 2.58
10 Impromptu in G flat major, D. 899/3 – 7.02
11 March in E major, D. 606 – 4.47
12 Impromptu in E flat major, D. 899/2 – 4.39
13 Impromptu in A flat major, D. 899/4 – 7.43

Recorded at the Grand Hall of the Moscow Conservatory on May 2, 1978 (1–7), October 18, 1978 (8–10), May 3, 1978 (11–13)

[Bogey]

What's the label, George?

[George]

What's the label, George?

Melodiya

[Pat B]

Anyone know how much of this has been released before?

Richter Plays Schubert

I looked that over when I posted it in the New Releases thread. Most or all of it is previously unreleased, based on the trovar.com Richter discography.

[George]

I looked that over when I posted it in the New Releases thread. Most or all of it is previously unreleased, based on the trovar.com Richter discography.

That's great news, however, Trovar is not up to date.

[George]

This just arrived!!

From Presto Classical, 4CD set on sale for $28.60

It has the usual flimsy Melodiya outer box, but the booklet is nice and the individual sleeves are cool. The sound seems fine and I definitely hear some tape hiss. Now enjoying CD 1, which has D. 566, 625 and 664.

[Octave]

A recent issue (April 2014).  I still haven't checked up on the dates etc to see how many of this I've heard.  If anyone know how recommended these come (and how are the transfers?), it would be nice to know.


THE ART OF SVIATOSLAV RICHTER (Regis, 6cd)
ASIN: B00J49H3VM   (not yet listed at Amazon US?)
http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/r/Regis/RRC6011

Also apparently no listing at the Regis website.   

Contents from Presto:

Beethoven:
Piano Sonata No. 8 in C minor, Op. 13 'Pathetique'
Piano Sonata No. 17 in D minor, Op. 31 No. 2 'Tempest'
Piano Sonata No. 23 in F minor, Op. 57 'Appassionata'
Piano Sonata No. 3 in C major, Op. 2 No. 3
Piano Sonata No. 9 in E major, Op. 14 No. 1
Piano Sonata No. 12 in A flat major, Op. 26 'March Funebre'
Piano Sonata No. 22 in F major, Op. 54
Bagatelle in F, Op. 33 No. 3
Bagatelle in C Major, Op. 33, No. 5
Bagatelles (11), Op. 119: No. 2 in C major
Bagatelles (11), Op. 119: No. 7 in C major
Bagatelles (11), Op. 119: No. 9 in A minor
Bagatelles (6), Op. 126: No. 1
Bagatelles (6), Op. 126: No. 4
Bagatelles (6), Op. 126: No. 6 in E flat major
Piano Sonata No. 23 in F minor, Op. 57 'Appassionata'

Chopin:
Ballade No. 3 in A flat major, Op. 47

Debussy:
Préludes - Book 1: No. 2, Voiles
Préludes - Book 1: No. 3, Le vent dans la plaine

Haydn:
Piano Sonata No. 32 in G minor, Hob.XVI:44

Mussorgsky:
Pictures at an Exhibition (piano version)

Prokofiev:
Piano Sonata No. 8 in B flat major, Op. 84

Piano Sonata No. 7 in B flat major, Op. 83
Piano Concerto No. 1 in D flat major, Op. 10
    Prague Symphony Orchestra, Karel Ancerl

Rachmaninov:
Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18
   Recorded in 1959
   Sinfonie-Orchester der Nationalen Philharmonie Warschau, Stanislaw Wislocki

Schubert:
Piano Sonata No. 16 in A minor, D845
Moments Musicaux, D780: No. 1 in C
Impromptu in E flat major, D899 No. 2
Impromptu in A flat major, D899 No. 4

Tchaikovsky:
Piano Concerto No. 1 in B flat minor, Op. 23
   Recorded in 1962
   Wiener Symphoniker, Herbert von Karajan

[Mandryka]

I have two recordings of Richter playing Webern's op 27 variations, a commercial one from Vienna in 1989, published by Philips, and the other unreleased from Bologna in 1989. Does anyone have any others?

For what it's worth I think he goes vey deep into this music.

More generally, what is the Russian tradition in performing serial music? As far as I recall there's nothing from Neuhaus, Feinberg, Yudina, Sofronitsky, Gilels, Vedernikov, Grinberg. You would have thought that Gould would have inspired, them to explore this type of music. He played the Webern Vriations in Moscow in 1957, the recording was released by Melodyia.

[Dancing Divertimentian]

A recent issue (April 2014).  I still haven't checked up on the dates etc to see how many of this I've heard.  If anyone know how recommended these come (and how are the transfers?), it would be nice to know.


THE ART OF SVIATOSLAV RICHTER (Regis, 6cd)
ASIN: B00J49H3VM   (not yet listed at Amazon US?)
http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/r/Regis/RRC6011

Just glancing at the track listing the box looks like a hodgepodge from different labels. The giveaway to me are these three listings:

Tchaikovsky:
Piano Concerto No. 1 in B flat minor, Op. 23
   Recorded in 1962
   Wiener Symphoniker, Herbert von Karajan

Rachmaninov:
Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18
   Recorded in 1959
   Sinfonie-Orchester der Nationalen Philharmonie Warschau, Stanislaw Wislocki

Prokofiev
Piano Concerto No. 1 in D flat major, Op. 10
    Prague Symphony Orchestra, Karel Ancerl

Both the Tchaikovsky 1 and Rach 2 are the long-familiar DG recordings and the Prokofiev 1 is from Supraphon. Looks like Regis might be dipping into the copyright expiration business.   

Hard to say about transfers - the Richter-verse is rife with the good, the bad, and everything in between.

[George]

Hard to say about transfers - the Richter-verse is rife with the good, the bad, and everything in between.

In the past, Regis has tended to just duplicate the most recent mastering.

[Moonfish]

The Richterverse seems somewhat difficult to navigate considering the large number of recordings.  I guess one needs to consider how many Richter recordings that is "enough", but I doubt that GMGers go there, right? There is always room for more of Richter! Right? Right......?   

[Ken B]

The Richterverse seems somewhat difficult to navigate considering the large number of recordings.  I guess one needs to consider how many Richter recordings that is "enough", but I doubt that GMGers go there, right? There is always room for more of Richter! Right? Right......?   

I have almost no Richter at all. So I am interested in a good, cheap, nearly all stereo box.

[Dancing Divertimentian]

In the past, Regis has tended to just duplicate the most recent mastering.

That's a good way to start, then, I suppose.

[Dancing Divertimentian]

The Richterverse seems somewhat difficult to navigate considering the large number of recordings.  I guess one needs to consider how many Richter recordings that is "enough", but I doubt that GMGers go there, right? There is always room for more of Richter! Right? Right......?   

Yeah, I used to think that. But I'm at the point now where duplication of repertoire is an issue for me. I mean, I love Richter's pianism but I don't go out of my way to buy multiples of any one piece by him, although there's no real way to avoid that much of the time if you're somewhat of a completist like me.

I have ended up with six recordings of Prokofiev's sixth sonata but all but one of them were couplings to other recordings I wanted so they were just tag-alongs. I swear....

[Moonfish]

Yeah, I used to think that. But I'm at the point now where duplication of repertoire is an issue for me. I mean, I love Richter's pianism but I don't go out of my way to buy multiples of any one piece by him, although there's no real way to avoid that much of the time if you're somewhat of a completist like me.

I have ended up with six recordings of Prokofiev's sixth sonata but all but one of them were couplings to other recordings I wanted so they were just tag-alongs. I swear....

Sure... sure... 

[Dancing Divertimentian]

Sure... sure... 

Denial is just a river in Egypt...