Sviatoslav Richter

Sviatoslav Richters first North American tour in 1960 solidified his international standing as one of the 20th centurys most exciting, provocative and original Russian pianists. His Carnegie Hall debut consisted of five sold-out recitals within twelve days in October, with two recitals added in December. The complete recordings from these concerts - previously only available in two separate editions Sviatoslav Richter - The Complete Album Collection and Great Moments at Carnegie Hall - are gathered together for the first time in one collection of thirteen CDs in a slipcase box including a booklet with archival photos and a new essay by Carnegie Hall archivist Gino Francesconi.

Although Schumann was one of the composers Sviatoslav Richter played best, this is not the most essential disc of this series. This Moscow recording of the six pieces from Op. 12 (Richter always played the same six, leaving out two of the set) is no better or worse than the Prague recordings made at the same time and now available from Deutsche Grammophon. In either case, you do want to hear Richter play these pieces, especially the miraculous speed and clarity of Traumes-Wirren. Richter gave the most convincing performance of the radical Humoreske ever, but his concert recording is even more exciting than this fine studio version.

RCA Victor's Richter Rediscovered lets us hear Sviatoslav Richter perform with intensity and purpose he rarely matched and still more rarely surpassed. This two-CD set comprises Richter's entire Dec. 26, 1960, Carnegie Hall recital and several encores from the same program two days later in Newark's Mosque Theater. Most transcripts of Richter's live performances miss details in his playing the prismatic shimmer of his tone in all registers, for example, or the way he could instantaneously jump from triple pianissimo to triple fortissimo.

These early recordings (1950-52) were made while Sviatoslav Richter was still playing this kind of virtuoso Russian music, an area he largely abandoned later in his life. If you enjoy the trivial Rimsky and Glazunov concertos, you'll get a real kick out of the colorful virtuosity of these performances, pretty well conveyed by the recordings although they don't really do justice to Richter's tone. But Richter did make another recording of the Prokofiev, with Karel Ancerl, which is currently available on Supraphon and has a much better orchestra. In either case, the pianist gives this insouciant music all the juice it needs.

Sviatoslav Richter commands legendary status in the keyboard world with almost superhuman technique and a level of intensity never exceeded in my memory. On this Melodiya album, the pianist performs the Tchaikovsky Piano Sonata No. 3 and Mussorgsky Pictures at an Exhibition. Pictures was recorded in 1958. The Tchaikovsky Piano Sonata No. 3 is rarely heard in the recital hall. It sounds more like a piano transcription of an orchestral work than one written for piano, and the chord-oriented work cumbersome on the keyboard. With full orchestra, I'm sure the effect would be quite beautiful.

There are loads of pianists technically superior than this pianist, but the sheer musicality of his playing makes it captivating. Czech Radio Symphony Orchestra engages in a true partnership with the pianist. Tempest and Polonaise & Waltz are equally impressive. Like so many of other Eastern European orchestras, I get an impression that the music comes from their heart.

Sometimes art is so simple and relaxed it seems to come from a place of utter mastery and command. This superb Sviatoslav Richter recording is like this. The presentation is easeful; there’s nothing forced. Richter just plays the music. These sonatas are reasonably easy for a pianist of his caliber, so the technical polish is perfect, which he makes sound effortlessly achieved. And Richter’s love for these Josef Haydn sonatas shows clearly. It results in a disc that is easily the best set of Haydn piano music in my collection.

In my opinion, Sviatoslav Richter played these two Russian monuments better than anyone else on record. However, he played them even better in concert than he did in these excellent studio recordings. The ultimate Richter Pictures (the 1958 Sofia version on Philips) keeps bouncing in and out of print, but it's currently available and it's the great Pictures performance of all time. However you hear Richter play these two pieces, though, do hear him. He will probably convince you, at least while you're listening, that the Tchaikovsky is a much better piece than most musicologists seem to believe.