Svjatoslav Rihter unrepeatable

[Sergey]

Hi!Friends,I would like to talk about Svjatoslav Rihter.I guess he is one of the few pianists who made a miracle on the stage.So I want to esplore his talent couse it is like infinitive universe.You know he is reall Russian musician ,I mean when he played Mussorgsky Pictures at exibition for example this is like reall painting,do you know what I mean?Bydlo- did you see it whenever?Do you know what is that mean?Actually it is unessential thing,it is a description of Russian village life ninteenth century.So Rihter did know exactly what to paint,he was feeling it all of his mind.What do you think?Thanks(sorry for my English)

[Colette]

i agree that richter is a great pianist. i love the uniqueness and depth of his playing....and that he is consistently good, even sometimes great. not many pianists can achieve that. his debussy is particularly stunning, and the sound he produces from estampes, for example, is almost untouchable and distant, but so believable. i have rarely heard a pianist with better rhythmic timing and balanced phrasing....the way richter sructures pieces, no matter how small or large scale they are is amazing. and yes, the way richter plays russian music, (and other music) is very russian...when i hear his rach 2, i feel like i am getting the whole picture, one continuous outpouring of musicanship. his playing often feels emotionally broad, point a to b, no hesitations in between.  i have to see the richter movie, "richter the enigma" or something like that.

[Pianorak]

Yes, I'll second Colette's view.  I would urge everyone to listen to Richter's recordings of the Bach 48 Preludes and Fugues.  I listened to all of them in one sitting.  Hmm, a bit like a book you just can't put down and keep turning the pages. Be prepared to shed a tear when watching "Richter the Enigma" - I found it both moving and depressing.

[Diabolos]

Well - what else to say? Richter's certainly one of this century's greatest pianists (together with Fleischer etc.)
But, as a matter of fact, I must say that, although I adore the way he plays Rach, Mussorgsky, Debussy and Bach, I don't really like his Beethoven; it's mostly an interpretational thing, I suppose. But it's his enterpretation that makes his music that characteristic; I guess everyone will be able to make a difference between a Richter Recording and Kissin, for example.
However, Richter also had a great teacher with Neuhaus; unfortunately, there are no existing recordings of him - it'd be interesting to compare their ways of playing, don't you guys think?

Regards  

[Sergey]

o ,yeh !thats right,this is really cool to compare to both great musicians like Rihter and Neuhaus.Do you know Neuhauses recordings are exist actually,but there are in archives in Moscow conservatory and I have heard some(Schumann.Kreisleriana).It is not brilliant technically(do you know what I mean?) but  there are lot of colors,lot of levels of piano and pianissimo and also he is reall romantic,romantic from past....And I think also that Rihter and Neuhaus are such different...this is hard to explain,but they are two universes both...

[Pianorak]

Heinrich Neuhaus is available in the West. "Russian Disc" label AAD RD CD 15 004 (1993) has the Scriabin Piano Concerto plus some 15 shorter pieces, mainly Preludes from Op. 13.
Quite frankly there is no comparison between Neuhaus and Richter. Obviously Neuhaus was a highly respected teacher and an excellent performer - but not in the same league as Richter.  

[benedict]

In a film by Bruno Monsaingeon, Richter appeared as much German as Russian.

I don't know if it adds anything to this post, but it did strike me.

[steveie986]

I liked his recording of the Well-Tempered Clavier.

[nicco]

He could probably sightread and instantly interpret the whole WTC

[steveie986]

Not true. He said the WTC was the hardest thing he'd ever learned. After playing the WTC everything else instantly became easy.

[krittyot]

Just to clarify his WTC, there are 3 versions.

1. Book I (1969 from Moscow).
2. Book I & II (live from Innsbruck, 1973).

3. Book I (1970) & II --- RCA (most common album).

There are more of his WTC recs, but they are incomplete album.

[jlh]

I heard that he 'learned' a few of the WTC pieces on a plane on the way to New York (mentally anyway) for a recording or concert of some kind.

[dnephi]

I heard his Brahms concerti and mendelssohn concerti.  No question.  Much much better than Lang Lang  .