Search - Schumann, Richter :: Fantasy: Papillons

Beautifully poised Schumann

klavierspiel | TX, USA | 03/31/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Sviatoslav Richter was a pianistic giant, one of the most admired of a bumper crop of Russian pianists who emerged in the wake of World War II. His concert appearances in the U.S. were not as plentiful as they might have been, due to his own idiosyncracies and the vagaries of the Cold War. It must be said that in his live performances (of which many are available on disc) he could be uneven, occasionally overplaying and crushing the music in the heat of the moment. These Schumann performances are all the more astonishing, then, for their poised musicianship as much as for Richter's signature technical prowess. The latter is of course much in evidence in the all-but-insane tempi for the coda of the second movement of the Fantasy and the finale of "Fassingschwank." But what lingers even more in this listener's ear is Richter's controlled mastery in shaping the arching melodic lines of the opening and closing movements of the Fantasy, some of Schumann's most potently beautiful music, and the unexpected charm and wit of the dozen tiny dances that comprise "Papillons." The sound is not state-of-the-art by today's standards, but perfectly acceptable.In sum, this is a beautiful, memorable and surprising recording for those used to the Russian pianist's more headlong performances."

Richter's Schumann Fantasy is the best out there!

Snookie | HUMMELSTOWN, PA USA | 05/30/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Schumann Fantasy is one of my favorite pieces of music written during the 19th Century. I have several recordings of it by such pianists as Rubinstein, Horowitz, Perahia, de Larrocha and this one by Richter. It is the best one that I've heard, and is one of my favorite recordings from Richter. He draws you into his "biosphere" (to coin a phrase from his protege' Andrea Gavriolv). The virtuosity of the middle movement is incredible, his tempo is absolutely insane, but after all, he IS Sviatoslav Richter! The dynamic control, phrasing and tonal nuance are just sublime. His phrasing lingers on in your heart long after he is finished. Just Beautiful!"

Richter's Schumann Fantasy

Ira Schaeffer | Rhode Island | 02/19/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Intense, powerful, and subtle--Richter is the true master, but this live performance sounds like it was recorded in a TB ward. Intrusive sounds from the audience--not just a few instances of isolated throat-clearing--but a continual chorus of bronchial spasms-mar Richter's magical keyboarding."