Search - Sviatoslav Richter :: Concert Performances

A thousand carats album!

Hiram Gomez Pardo | Valencia, Venezuela | 07/30/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This fabulous set gives us a fabulous and complete selection from Richter's oeuvre that spans the years 1958-1976; it includes a kaleidoscopic variety of composers, a wide range of musical styles. The famed pianist Glenn Gould once affirmed : "There are musicians who try to bypass the whole question of the performing mechanism, to create the illusion, at any rate, of a direct link between themselves and a particular musical score, helping therefore the listener to achieve a sensation of involvement, not with the performance per se, but rather, with the music itself." And that is absolutely valid in the case of Richer.



For many Beethoven purists, Richer may result quite propulsive and even unaware. But that is just an illusion. It's a question of temperament. Richter uses to explore directly without reflexive pauses the soul of Beethoven. In fact, you may feel Richter plays as a huge mirror that reflects the multiple facets of any composer as a whole. In this superb compilation Beethoven occupies two and a quarter CD' s . His Variations & Fugue for piano Op. 35 are even much more emotive and volcanic respect the famous performance given in Carnegie Hall of 1965. (I just have this recording and have compared them one each other.). The Sonata Op. 10 is extraordinary. The Sonata Op. 4 is an excellent performance that denotes the multiplicity of vision (listen to Benedetti Michelangeli and Schnabel, for instance). The Sonata 32 is memorable although it's far to reach the unbeatable version of Paul Badura Skoda ` s version of 1973.



Believe or not the impressive performance of Richter around Pictures at exhibition is not so far respect to the well known and best acclaimed version of Sofia. You may realize this recital in Budapest was made just a week after Sofia' s performance and the most notable feature is how different is. If it's true the overall texture is visibly lighter and less dark respect Sophie, in certain passages I find it wildest, aggressive and even volcanic. The Catacombs and the Great Gate of Kiev are to my mind, much reposed analytical and colder but better performed. In my case, I have another additional Pictures of Richter and I use to compare between themselves.



Tchaikovsky pieces are quite sensitive and beautifully phrased. Scriabin' s Ninth Sonata has always been a personal trademark of this formidable pianist, although I rather his mesmerizing Warsaw live version of 1972. Prokoviev' s Fourth Sonata has constituted for Richter another treasured battle horse in most of his recitals. He possesses that required intensity, black humor and bitter cynicism that nestles along the score, because of the fact nobody like him knew about the nature of the monster and the oppressive atmosphere in those years. In sum, this is a very remarkable musical document for treasure and enjoy it over and over.



Highly recommended for those Richter' s hard fans and even you don' t.

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