Sviatoslav Richter

[Bogey]

Who needs eyes when the brains aint workin' 

[Mandryka]

I'm enjoying trying to understand how he developed so I've been listening side by side to some recordings, viz

Handel Keyboard Suite 5, Budapest 29 April 1963 Hungary box and Château de Marcily-sur-Maulne, 1 July 1979 EMI
Mozart K310 from Prague  1 June 1956 Praga  and London 29 March 1989 Philips
Bach English Suite No. Moscow 3 19 Dec 1948 Melodyia  and Tours, June 1991 Stradivarius

The interesting thing for me is the change -- in all three cases I'm feel the earlier recording is more exciting. And the later recording is more poised, more reflective and above all more intense. I'm going continue the investigation, and bring Haydn into the picture, and Beethoven.

There was a period when he started to have heart trouble and give up playing recitals for a while. I wonder if this change in tone coincides with his return after that illness was brought under control.

This has been something that has been bugging me for ages -- I'm glad I'm making the time to understand it a bit better.

[westknife]

The interesting thing for me is the change -- in all three cases I'm feel the earlier recording is more intense, more exciting. And the later recording is more poised, more reflective and above all more intense.

So wait... which one is more intense?

[Mandryka]

God you're quick. Typo. The later

[zauberharfe]

@Mandryka

I have tons of recordings by the Maestro, and I've always found the comparison of his different recordings intriguing, too! If you spend some more time with his cds, I reckon you'll realize that he sometimes changed his vision of a work a lot even in a few years' time! Incidentally, if it hadn't been clear by now, for me he is primus inter pares, so to speak. 

[bhodges]

Hello, zauberharfe, and welcome to GMG. Lots of Richter fans here!

If you like, please feel free to post something about yourself in the "Introductions" section, here:

http://www.good-music-guide.com/community/index.php/board,2.0.html

In any case, enjoy your time at GMG.

--Bruce

[George]

Lots of Richter fans here!

*raises hand proudly* 


(Hey, Bruce!) 

[bhodges]

Hiya George!

So I realized the other day ( ) I still have a copy of Richter Rediscovered (below) and never got around to listening to all of it.

[asin]B00005OLD9[/asin]

--Bruce

[Scarpia]

Hiya George!

So I realized the other day ( ) I still have a copy of Richter Rediscovered (below) and never got around to listening to all of it.

I just realized I have the Richter Icon set, which I got from amazon.co.uk, new, for 5 pounds, and haven't even looked inside yet.  I can only assume there are CDs in there.   

[asin]B001B1R1HC[/asin]

I see it sells for a reasonable price on amazon.com, maybe a little Richter arbitrage is in order!

[Brian]

These recordings capture him a wide range of concertos from Bach to Britten, via his beloved Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven (though he only recorded his concertos 1&3 and the Triple Concerto) and Brahms.

Many of the recordings date from prior to the commercial releases. The Dvorak here is from 1966 and conducted by Kondrashin. The famous EMI LP with Kleiber appeared in the 1970s -- Richter claimed that neither he nor Kleiber were in the best form. In the case of the Britten concerto with the composer conducting, the recording here is from 3 years earlier than the famous Decca LP. Richter was unhappy with this as Britten was apparently ill and 'a shadow of himself'. The Brahms 2 and the Schumann are from private tapes owned by conductor George Georgescu who is at the helm in both concertos. A good example of Richter's self - criticism can be found in his comment on his later RCA Chicago Symphony /Leinsdorf recording 'one of my worst records...I can't bear it'. It won a Grammy!

This set also includes some of the lesser known works Richter championed -- Les Djinns by Franck and the Dvorak Piano Concerto which he played more than 25 times from the 1960s to the 80s. He did more than any pianist to restore this work to the repertoire.

[Mandryka]

I've never heard the Bach with Nikolayevsky, or the Haydn with  Tsiryuk  -- are they good performances? Is the sound OK?

[zauberharfe]

Thanks for the kind words, dear Brewski! I'll definitely get down to make a proper introduction soon. 

If someone is interested I can post the recording dates and places of the new Brillant boxset; some of them are clearly wrong, some of them are oop or LP reissues and there is some unpublished material, too. I don't have the boxset itself as yet, though 

One has to be careful about Richter: he has the greatest discography out there among pianists, not to mention the even greater amount of unreleased recordings, and many labels (Brilliant  ) put bullshit on the covers, like 'Moscow 1947' when the actual date is 10 years later, ecc...

if these Bach concertos are conducted by Nikolayevski (I hope) then the date is 18/05/1991 and not 19/12/1983.
As to the Haydn, yes, the sound must be quite good. Also video footage exists on dvd from this recording.

[George]

Hiya George!

So I realized the other day ( ) I still have a copy of Richter Rediscovered (below) and never got around to listening to all of it.

No judgment here. I don't even own it yet. 

[Coopmv]

I've never heard the Bach with Nikolayevsky, or the Haydn with  Tsiryuk  -- are they good performances? Is the sound OK?

Bach with Nikolayevsky??  Did you mean Bach with Nikolayeva.

[Dancing Divertimentian]

Hiya George!

So I realized the other day ( ) I still have a copy of Richter Rediscovered (below) and never got around to listening to all of it.

[asin]B00005OLD9[/asin]

--Bruce

Try Prokofiev's sixth sonata, Bruce. Then perhaps the Chopin scherzo (if you haven't listened to them already).

[Mandryka]

Bach with Nikolayevsky??  Did you mean Bach with Nikolayeva.

The box has:

Keyboard Concerto No. 3 in D major, BWV1054
Students' Orchestra of the Moscow State Conservatory, Yuri Nikolayevsky
Keyboard Concerto No. 7 in G minor, BWV1058
Students' Orchestra of the Moscow State Conservatory, Yuri Nikolayevsky

Trovar lists a 1054 and 1058 with Bashmet,  both of which  which I haven't heard.

[ccar]

I've never heard the Bach with Nikolayevsky, or the Haydn with  Tsiryuk  -- are they good performances? Is the sound OK?

The box has:

Keyboard Concerto No. 3 in D major, BWV1054
Students’ Orchestra of the Moscow State Conservatory, Yuri Nikolayevsky
Keyboard Concerto No. 7 in G minor, BWV1058
Students’ Orchestra of the Moscow State Conservatory, Yuri Nikolayevsky

Trovar lists a 1054 and 1058 with Bashmet,  both of which  which I haven't heard.

                                                   

The Bach and the Haydn concertos are both live recordings. Expect some resonance and a close microphone but the sound is still quite good.

For the BWV 1054 and 1058 there are a number of Richter recordings but the Bashmet (Teldec) is the only more easily available. Bashmet and the Padova/Veneto Orchestra seem to have looked for a more "stylishly" informed playing but personally I am not thrilled with their orchestral part. After a magical performance of the BWV 1052 with Sanderling, in this same Brilliant CD, Nikolayevsky and the Student's Moscow Conservatory Orchestra are obviously not in the same league, but the performances are very much alive and Richter's playing is still a pleasure to listen to.

AFAIK the Haydn D major concerto is the only Richter ever played in public performances and his only 2 performances were both recorded (and filmed) in 1983, one at the Moscow Conservatory and the other at the Pushkin Museum. There are some but not so easily available DVD releases and also an excerpt in the Bruno Monsaingeon documentary. You may check in the YouTube http://www.youtube.com/user/truecrypt#p/search/1/VWu_OUk6c1Q but the sound is lousy. Relistening to it now, in better sound, was a real pleasure. I've always been impressed by Richter's Haydn sonata recordings (and even had the opportunity of listening to him live in some). But for me his rendition of the Haydn concerto is quite unique and almost surprising. By the drive, the phrasing, the incredible variety of colors he gets from the piano and by the liberty and wonderful taste of his dynamic effects. There are a number of other goodies inside, but I believe this not easily available Richter's performance of the Haydn D concerto could be, by itself, a strong enough reason to get this bargain CD box.                 

[Mandryka]

Thanks ccar. That's very much appreciated.

I've already ordered a Teldec CD with the Bashmet Bach.

One thing which I think is interesting is how the Bwv 1052 with Sanderling is so different from the same concerto with Talich. The two were recorded within a year of each other I think.

Sanderling must have had very strong views about this concerto. I think you can hear his mark in the performance with Yudina.

I like Richter's Bach a lot.

H.

[Bogey]

What say you on these two, folks?

[George]

Second one is a must have, Bill! The first I don't think I have heard.