Sviatoslav Richter

[Dancing Divertimentian]

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

Here's the scoop, George.

That six-disc mini Richter series on Decca pre-dated the massive Philips Authorized edition by about a year or two. I know this because I actually bought three volumes from that Decca set.

Then in Fanfare turned up a Gerber review of that mini Decca series and at the end of it mention is made of an upcoming edition from Philips which was to contain "all previously unpublished concert tapes" (Fanfare Vol.17, No.1). This was to be the Authorized Edition. So despite some overlap in repertoire the Decca performances couldn't be the same as Philips's.

Later I discovered Trovar and the info there makes the distinction between the Decca Brahms sonatas (Mantua) and the Philips Brahms sonatas (Tours). Tanin's site (the Doremi guy) echos this distinction.

What's tough is trying to remember that once-upon-a-time Decca and Philips actually acted independently (though they were 'sister labels') and released material not duplicated by the other. Today things are different. 

In fact, even today nothing of that original six-disc mini Decca series has seen the light of day on any other label except for Decca (excepting some obscure Universal import) - unlike the Philips Authorized Edition which has now seemingly been gobbled up by Decca.

Anyway, it'll give you a headache, I know...

[George]

No, that was clear as spring water, thanks!

Now, how are the performances? Do you have both? Is the sound or performance better on one of them?

I ask because I have a chance to get the original Decca, but if the performance is better on the Master series, I won't bother. 

[Dancing Divertimentian]

No, that was clear as spring water, thanks!

Now, how are the performances? Do you have both? Is the sound or performance better on one of them?

I ask because I have a chance to get the original Decca, but if the performance is better on the Master series, I won't bother. 

Sorry, George, I haven't heard the Brahms sonatas in the Master Series (Philips Edition).

However, I do have an alternate Brahms first sonata on RCA that's within a month or so of the Master Series first. And I can say for certain the RCA first compares favorably with the original Decca first.

So...if I apply the basic logic that one month between performances isn't a dramatic difference in Richter terms the RCA first should be in the same basic ballpark as the Master Series first. Which means I sort of know what the Master Series first should sound like (even though I haven't heard it) and can comfortably say it should compare favorably with the original Decca first.

However...thinking of it in those terms, I probably wouldn't go out of my way to pick up the original Decca first if I already had the Master Series first. That's based on the knowledge that the RCA first - and by extension the Master Series first - is already such a fine performance.

The one fly in the ointment of course is that in Richter terms one month CAN be a dramatic difference as far as performances of the same piece. So the RCA first I have might indeed be dramatically different than the Master Series first, which means all my logic and conjecturing above is blown to bits.

So bottom line: grab that original Decca Brahms disc!

BTW, after all that, I need to make one correction to my post above: Gerber's description of "all previously unpublished concert tapes" in the Philips Edition actually proved to be slightly incorrect. It turns out there were actually a very small handful of performances in that Edition that had been published before: a couple (or so) of the Beethoven sonatas, the Liszt sonata, and the Shostakovich Preludes chief among them. I actually knew this but the fog of late night and overwork blanked my memory.

Anyhoo, the Philips (now Master Series) Brahms sonatas have long been proven to be separate from that original Decca disc.   

[George]

Sorry, George, I haven't heard the Brahms sonatas in the Master Series (Philips Edition).

However, I do have an alternate Brahms first sonata on RCA that's within a month or so of the Master Series first. And I can say for certain the RCA first compares favorably with the original Decca first. 

That has been my experience with the Schubert sonatas as well, Richter was a consistent performer. Although, the sound of the venue/piano could change considerably. How's the sound on the Decca?

So bottom line: grab that original Decca Brahms disc!

I think I might. It's $20.

[Dancing Divertimentian]

That has been my experience with the Schubert sonatas as well, Richter was a consistent performer. Although, the sound of the venue/piano could change considerably. How's the sound on the Decca?

The Decca disc is in excellent sound. Go for it!

[Zhiliang]

Hi,

Would like to ask which of the recordings of Richter on the label Regis is really worth getting? And also how is the sound?

Thanks.

[George]

Hi,

Would like to ask which of the recordings of Richter on the label Regis is really worth getting? And also how is the sound?

Thanks.

The sound is good on all the ones that I have heard. I think they are all worth getting. The Schubert and Rachmaninoff (with Preludes/Etudes) are especially good.

[Bogey]

What say 'ye on this recording:



Sonata in A minor D845
recorded in Moscow in March 1957

Sonata in D major D850
recorded in Moscow in August 1956

Impromptu in E flat D899/2

recorded in Moscow in 1950

Sviatoslav Richter needs no introduction - he is universally regarded as one of the very greatest pianists of the 20th century. The Soviet recordings he made in the 1950s, before he started performing in the west, are generally less well known though, and here we have two major works, from a composer who was particularly close to Richter's heart which he did not revisit in the recording studio in later years.

Schubert's Sonatas D845 and D850 are certainly amongst his greatest, they immediately predate the magnificent final three (D958-960) and are written on the same vast scale. The composer's piano sonatas were little known in the 1950s particularly in the USSR, and Richter was very much a torchbearer for this music. These are sublime performances particularly in the timeless slow movements, and it is surprising how rarely these particular recordings have been reissued in the CD era. Thankfully by the later 1950's the Melodiya recorded sound was much improved and not many apologies need be made on this account.

To complete this programme we have added one of the earliest Richter recordings, that of the popular Impromptu D899/4, which dates from 1950.

APR5669   £9.99

[George]

What say 'ye on this recording:



Sonata in A minor D845
recorded in Moscow in March 1957

Bill, you haven't read my reviews?    (same performances, different label, reviewed earlier in this very thread)


Review of Schubert's Piano Sonata D 845 (there is only one commercially released performance of this work by the pianist)

  Moscow 2 March 1957 (Living Stage) – I also have this performance on Urania (marked incorrectly as D 850 on the artwork and CD) but the Living Stage has slightly better sound, so I used that one for this review. As with the D 850, the D 845 finds Richter in an austere, even harsh mood. This is not helped by the dry, cold sound evoked by the recording. Close miking only serves to intensify the harshness of forte passages, though it does help to capture all of the quiet moments well in this work. These quiet moments had a great mystery to them and provided a nice contrast to the more extrovert passages. Richter seemed to play better as he went on in this work, the second movement was so much more playful and lighter in mood that one would swear another pianist had stepped in. The finale was particularly fine, saving an otherwise marginal performance. Though I am sure that this is not the greatest recording ever made of this sonata, I do find it to be recommendable.

Sonata in D major D850
recorded in Moscow in August 1956

Moscow 11 August 1956 (Living Stage) – Sounding a bit more rushed and sloppy than the Prague performance, in worse sound, the first movement here was a disappointment. Since this is the only other available performance of this sonata by the pianist, I was hoping for more. Unfortunately, recorded only two months later than the Prague, it was more of the same, at least in the first movement. Like the Prague, the second movement also revealed issues with the tape/piano. The playing was somewhat better, being more coherent, but still not exactly tender or profound either. Unfortunately, the sound becomes really distorted on the forte chords here and in the next movement, making a subpar interpretation sound worse. The same issue plagues the finale. Overall I prefer the Prague performance for it's less rushed and better played first movement and its better sound.

[Bogey]

 I was referring mainly to the APR transfer of the above recording.  Sorry about that, but the reviews brought to light here are also most helpful.

PS Also note that I visit this thread fairly infrequently.

[George]

I was referring mainly to the APR transfer of the above recording.  Sorry about that, but the reviews brought to light here are also most helpful.

The few APR CDs I have are decent transfers, they don't stand out as being particularly wonderful or terrible.

[Zhiliang]

The sound is good on all the ones that I have heard. I think they are all worth getting. The Schubert and Rachmaninoff (with Preludes/Etudes) are especially good.

Thanks George for your recommendations. I have just ordered the Rachmaninoff Preludes/Etudes one and also the Schubert Sonatas D958/D960. Plus a BBC live recording with the D960 played during the 1960s.

As i am a newbie when it comes to Richter's recordings, as a general guideline, is his earlier recordings better than the ones in the 1990s? Or which of his recordings on the timeline should i go for first as piority?

Thanks so much.

[George]

Thanks George for your recommendations. I have just ordered the Rachmaninoff Preludes/Etudes one and also the Schubert Sonatas D958/D960. Plus a BBC live recording with the D960 played during the 1960s.

I strongly recommend the Schubert Master series that came out recently on Decca. It has two of his very best Schubert performances, the D 894 and the D 840.

As i am a newbie when it comes to Richter's recordings, as a general guideline, is his earlier recordings better than the ones in the 1990s? Or which of his recordings on the timeline should i go for first as piority?

I wish it were that simple. For example, his best Schubert recordings (reviews posted earlier in the thread) IMO come from 1956, 1963, 1972, 1979 and 1989. So there's no real rule. I do think that in the early years (1950's) he was much more raw and austere than later on, when his tone became much more refined IMO.

I think it would be better to go after the classic Richter recordings first and then take it from there, based on what you enjoy.

These would include his Liszt Concertos with Kondrashin on Philips, the Melodiya Beethoven CD with the live Pathetique and Appassionata, the Rachmaninov PC 2 with Wislocki on DG, Bach WTC on RCA, Beethoven Cello Sonatas with Rostropovich and the solo Schumann CD on EMI. Better yet, the whole EMI Icon box would make a great starter kit.

[Brian]

Hi,

Would like to ask which of the recordings of Richter on the label Regis is really worth getting? And also how is the sound?

Thanks.

I have the Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninov. The Rach is great; the Tchaik is great, too, actually, though I am partial to Igumnov when it comes to historical recordings, maybe because he was my first exposure to the music.

[Zhiliang]

I strongly recommend the Schubert Master series that came out recently on Decca. It has two of his very best Schubert performances, the D 894 and the D 840.

I wish it were that simple. For example, his best Schubert recordings (reviews posted earlier in the thread) IMO come from 1956, 1963, 1972, 1979 and 1989. So there's no real rule. I do think that in the early years (1950's) he was much more raw and austere than later on, when his tone became much more refined IMO.

I think it would be better to go after the classic Richter recordings first and then take it from there, based on what you enjoy.

These would include his Liszt Concertos with Kondrashin on Philips, the Melodiya Beethoven CD with the live Pathetique and Appassionata, the Rachmaninov PC 2 with Wislocki on DG, Bach WTC on RCA, Beethoven Cello Sonatas with Rostropovich and the solo Schumann CD on EMI. Better yet, the whole EMI Icon box would make a great starter kit.

I had my reservations at first about the Decca Master series, because i bought the one that has his Shostakovich Preludes and Scriabin pieces like the Fantasy Op. 28, and i found the sound a little murky. Maybe its just me. But i will certainly take note of the Schubert that you have mentioned.

I already have the Bach WTC, Liszt Concertos and Rachmaninov PC 2 that you have mentioned on your list.

Also there is this 6 disc live recordings on Doremi from Oct 1960 Carnegie Hall. Are they the sensational first recordings that he made when he first arrived in the States? How is the playing and also the recorded sound? Are they worth buying cos its pretty expensive everywhere. (not if you considered its 6 discs)

[George]

I had my reservations at first about the Decca Master series, because i bought the one that has his Shostakovich Preludes and Scriabin pieces like the Fantasy Op. 28, and i found the sound a little murky. Maybe its just me. But i will certainly take note of the Schubert that you have mentioned.

The Schubert one has great sound.

I already have the Bach WTC, Liszt Concertos and Rachmaninov PC 2 that you have mentioned on your list.

You're off to a fine start then. 

Also there is this 6 disc live recordings on Doremi from Oct 1960 Carnegie Hall. Are they the sensational first recordings that he made when he first arrived in the States? How is the playing and also the recorded sound? Are they worth buying cos its pretty expensive everywhere. (not if you considered its 6 discs)

The performance is superb, but the recorded sound is poor. Sounds like an audience recording. 

[Dancing Divertimentian]

The performance is superb, but the recorded sound is poor. Sounds like an audience recording. 

I'm not sure what Doremi used for its source material but the original source for Richter's famous series of Carnegie concerts in 1960 is actually Columbia - or more specifically, a co-production between Columbia and the Soviet copyright firm, Mezhdunarodnaya Kniga (MK). The performances aren't bootlegs.

Unfortunately the sound came out so disappointingly poor because Columbia hadn't been allowed to make the actual recordings. MK took charge of that and did little more than take Carnegie's house tapes and use them as the source material. But Carnegie's house set-up in those days wasn't anything elaborate. It's main use was to provide performers with tapes of their performances simply for documentary purposes. So technical standards were relatively low.

And so this is what MK handed Columbia for issuing purposes.

Just why MK took this route is speculation but one thing's for certain: these concerts were recorded without Richter's knowledge and released without his approval. Which probably means MK anticipated Richter's apprehension at being recorded (he hated microphones) and Columbia's sprawling network of cables and microphones would've easily tipped him off to what was transpiring - and he would've no doubt vetoed the whole thing. So MK took the discretionary route in using Carnegie's house set-up.

And the rest is history: Richter eventually DID veto these recordings and for almost half a century they were great rarities.

[Herman]

Also there is this 6 disc live recordings on Doremi from Oct 1960 Carnegie Hall. Are they the sensational first recordings that he made when he first arrived in the States? How is the playing and also the recorded sound? Are they worth buying cos its pretty expensive everywhere. (not if you considered its 6 discs)

I'd only take Doremi as a last resort. They have very peculiar sound preferences.

[George]

Or which of his recordings on the timeline should i go for first as piority?

As I mentioned earlier, I'd suggest taking on a performance basis, as I have heard his best work on specific performances of the 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s.

I finally dug out a list I made for a friend on another board of recommendations for Richter CDs. I will post it below for you:

1. Prokofiev Piano Sonatas 6-8, Sofia Recital - Great Pianists of the Century or get the Sofia Recital separately on Philips, but the Prokofiev is not to be missed (PM me if you have trouble finding it.)

2. Beethoven Sonatas Pathetique and Appassionata, Bagatelles and Choral Fantasy on Melodiya (THE best Beethoven disc Richter has put out)

3. Beethoven Sonatas 109 -111 "Live at Leipzig" on Parnassus

4. Rachmaninoff PC 2 and Prokofiev PC 5 on DG (better than the one with the Tchaikovsky coupling, another essential Richter CD)

5. Liszt Piano Concertos cond by Kondrashin on Philips

6. Schumann Fantasy in C on Various EMI CDs

7. Schumann Waldszenen, 6 Fantasiestucke, Toccata, Novellette, Marsch on DG (not the Supraphon as the sound is not as good)

8. Bach WTC Live at Innsbruck on Victor or the much easier to find RCA Salzburg version where the performance is still very good, but the sound is somewhat over-reverberant

9. Debussy Preludes complete on BBC Legends

10. Chopin/Scriabin on Praga and any other Richter Praga CDs you can get including the whole set (very expensive.)

11. Also, any Schubert by the pianist you can get!

[Zhiliang]

I have the Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninov. The Rach is great; the Tchaik is great, too, actually, though I am partial to Igumnov when it comes to historical recordings, maybe because he was my first exposure to the music.

Thanks so much for the recommendations, i will look into the Tchaikovsky now and i totally agree about the "first exposure" My "first exposure" to Richter was his Liszt piano concertos and i still have not found a better version.