Sviatoslav Richter

[Mandryka]

This contains some of the best Mozart sonata playing I have ever heard.

[George]

Continuing in my reverse chronological survey (of which only D 575 and D 566 remains) of the officially released recordings of Richter's performance of Schubert sonatas, today I reviewed D 625:

        Munich 23 July 1978 (Victor) – Of the three officially released performances of this sonata, all of which were recorded live and within a 8 month span, this one stands out for me as being my favorite. The other two, Tokyo 1979 on Regis and London 1979 on BBC Legends, are interpretatively similar to the Munich. However, the Tokyo suffers from what appears to be excessive noise reduction, as the piano tone has a displeasing, muffled quality to it. The London recording does not have this problem, but the audience noises are heard loudly throughout the performance, plus the overall sound is thin. The Munich, on the other hand, is a well-engineered recording of a live performance that only occasionally reveals that it was recorded in front of an audience. Richter is in top form as well, turning in one of his classic Schubert performances. He seems to cover the full range of human emotion in this performance, at times dark, at others sunny, delicate at one moment, crushing in the next. He uses the Adagio from D 505 as the third movement and this works well at providing a brief respite from the tension of the work. He also chooses to play the outer movements as written, in their unfinished state. The finale begins rapidly and urgently, a stark contrast to the movement that preceded it. Richter's dynamic contrasts here are immense, building tension in an exciting reading until finally ending gently. This performance is well worth seeking out. Unfortunately it is not easy to find. It was released on CD, Victor VICC-60076, in Japan.

[Herman]

This contains some of the best Mozart sonata playing I have ever heard.

Interesting. Personally I think Mozart is one of Richter's most incompatible composers. It's a complete cringe-fest for me.

His Haydn, on the other hand, is always of the highest order (even though some Haydn purists like Schiff reject it).

[rubio]

This performance is well worth seeking out. Unfortunately it is not easy to find. It was released on CD, Victor VICC-60076, in Japan.

Hi George, I read your survey with interest. Did you order this Victor CD from HMV Japan?

[Mandryka]

Interesting. Personally I think Mozart is one of Richter's most incompatible composers. It's a complete cringe-fest for me.

His Haydn, on the other hand, is always of the highest order (even though some Haydn purists like Schiff reject it).

To be honest I had always rejected his Mozart until I heard that DVD. Not because it made me cringe, but because it seemed flat, colourless and rather unenergetic.

And all the Mozart sonata CDs I had have poor sound.

But that DVD is not like that at all -- there's colour, the just tempo, a real sense of architecture, joy. Have you heard the DVD/ I guess what I'm asking is, did the DVD make you cringe too?

[Herman]

Sorry, no, I do not know the DVD. Perhaps it's the exception to the rule.

[George]

Hi George, I read your survey with interest. Did you order this Victor CD from HMV Japan?

No, I found a used copy in the shops.

[Dancing Divertimentian]

And all the Mozart sonata CDs I had have poor sound.

Here's another one in good sound, vigorously performed (especially K.310):

[George]

Here's another one in good sound, vigorously performed (especially K.310):

Was that contained in the Master series?

[Dancing Divertimentian]

Was that contained in the Master series?

No, this is a one-off release that was not included in the old Authorized Edition and is not currently part of the new Master Series.

[George]

No, this is a one-off release that was not included in the old Authorized Edition and is not currently part of the new Master Series.

I see that it goes for $40 and up on amazon. 

[Brian]

Here's another one in good sound, vigorously performed (especially K.310):

His facial expression says, "Help! I'm trapped in an oddly cut-up photograph blatantly stuck against a new background!"

[Dancing Divertimentian]

I see that it goes for $40 and up on amazon. 

Wow, that stinks. Though the K310 is good enough to almost (almost) justify the price.

[Dancing Divertimentian]

His facial expression says, "Help! I'm trapped in an oddly cut-up photograph blatantly stuck against a new background!"

Yes, poor Richter - confined to drab teal purgatory.

[Coopmv]

Is anyone familiar with this set?  There is only one review on Amazon and it was by none other than the Sante Fe Listener, whom our own DavidRoss has not had anything positive to say about ...

[George]

Much of that set is contained in the Master series, so I haven't bothered to get it yet. I think only a few of the performances are not in the 2 CD Master set.

[Herman]

George, is there anyway you can direct me to your post about Richter and Schumann's Fantasie Op 17, please? This thread has become rather unwieldy.

I got a couple of those recent Japanese Universal cds, and the according to the Philips credits the (live) Fantasie is from 1969, which is kind of puzzling, as the trovar records don't mention a Fantasie for that year. Maybe it's a 'misprint' for 1979. It's rather closely recorded / remastered.

[George]

George, is there anyway you can direct me to your post about Richter and Schumann's Fantasie Op 17, please? This thread has become rather unwieldy.

I got a couple of those recent Japanese Universal cds, and the according to the Philips credits the (live) Fantasie is from 1969, which is kind of puzzling, as the trovar records don't mention a Fantasie for that year. Maybe it's a 'misprint' for 1979. It's rather closely recorded / remastered.

I am not sure which post you mean, sorry.

[Dancing Divertimentian]

George, is there anyway you can direct me to your post about Richter and Schumann's Fantasie Op 17, please? This thread has become rather unwieldy.

I got a couple of those recent Japanese Universal cds, and the according to the Philips credits the (live) Fantasie is from 1969, which is kind of puzzling, as the trovar records don't mention a Fantasie for that year. Maybe it's a 'misprint' for 1979. It's rather closely recorded / remastered.

If Universal released it I can't imagine it being anything other than the 1979 performance. At least, up till now there's never been more than one Schumann Fantasie from Universal (Polygram).

No telling what somebody might have unearthed, though.

[George]

The Decca sonatas are actually from a year or two earlier. [than those in in the Master Series]

Just curious how you know this, Don, for my liner notes in the Master Series do not show any dates.