JC That was a very interesting article about Richter you posted , he was a very cultured man. As for his pianism although he was a stupendous pianist the recordings that were released were really poor and didn't really do justice to him. I really admired him but could find his playing rather cold. Regarding his recordings I am reminded of the quote that was said about Busoni when he was doing some early acoustic recordings . When he had finished recording they played back one of the masters to let everyone hear this scratchy hissy horrible sound when one soul said "that sounds nothing like him" and another "said no wonder how can you put the Atlantic ocean in a bottle and stopper it". That's exactly how I thought of Richter if he had been in the west just think what we could have had.
Classical Music for Aficionados
I would like to start a thread, similar to Orpheus’ jazz site, for lovers of classical music.
I will list some of my favorite recordings, CDs as well as LP’s. While good sound is not a prime requisite, it will be a consideration.
Classical music lovers please feel free to add to my lists.
Discussion of musical and recording issues will be welcome.
I’ll start with a list of CDs. Records to follow in a later post.
Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique. Chesky — Royal Phil. Orch. Freccia, conductor.
Mahler: Des Knaben Wunderhorn. Vanguard Classics — Vienna Festival Orch. Prohaska, conductor.
Prokofiev: Scythian Suite et. al. DG — Chicago Symphony Abbado, conductor.
Brahms: Symphony #1. Chesky — London Symph. Orch. Horenstein, conductor.
Stravinsky: L’Histoire du Soldat. HDTT — Ars Nova. Mandell, conductor.
Rachmaninoff: Symphonic Dances. Analogue Productions. — Dallas Symph Orch. Johanos, cond.
Respighi: Roman Festivals et. al. Chesky — Royal Phil. Orch. Freccia, conductor.
All of the above happen to be great sounding recordings, but, as I said, sonics is not a prerequisite.
I will list some of my favorite recordings, CDs as well as LP’s. While good sound is not a prime requisite, it will be a consideration.
Classical music lovers please feel free to add to my lists.
Discussion of musical and recording issues will be welcome.
I’ll start with a list of CDs. Records to follow in a later post.
Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique. Chesky — Royal Phil. Orch. Freccia, conductor.
Mahler: Des Knaben Wunderhorn. Vanguard Classics — Vienna Festival Orch. Prohaska, conductor.
Prokofiev: Scythian Suite et. al. DG — Chicago Symphony Abbado, conductor.
Brahms: Symphony #1. Chesky — London Symph. Orch. Horenstein, conductor.
Stravinsky: L’Histoire du Soldat. HDTT — Ars Nova. Mandell, conductor.
Rachmaninoff: Symphonic Dances. Analogue Productions. — Dallas Symph Orch. Johanos, cond.
Respighi: Roman Festivals et. al. Chesky — Royal Phil. Orch. Freccia, conductor.
All of the above happen to be great sounding recordings, but, as I said, sonics is not a prerequisite.
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yes indeed jim What a saga From his teenage job accompanying the Odessa opera rehearsals to the death of his father (father was german, was warned to leave, but his mother was too attached to her lover, so dad stayed and was arrested, executed - while Sv. was in Moscow studying with Neuhaus) to his long hibernation in USSR (allowed out once to play at UN) and his final world wide recognition when he was finally allowed out in 1960 at age 45. I hear rhythms within rhythms where other pianists are struggling to keep up. Do you have the Richter in Hungary (1954-93) set of 14 cds? Have you seen Bruno Monsaingeon's 1998 documentary, “Richter the Enigma"? https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=richter+the+enigma Compilation of his recordings here: http://www.doremi.com/sr.html |
jim204, Richter lived in the West for over 30 years, he just hated recording process, he was an accomplished theatre man. I was fortunate to be at his recitals a few times and it was out of this world. I keep coming back listening to him and discovering more and more, especially in his late, ’simple’ and ’cold’ performances. His counterpoint playing is like a Gothic cathedral: there are so many storeys and layers hidden underneath his simplicity. He played a piano as if it were an organ - a true klavir player. You can also give Andrey Gavrilov and Ekaterina Derzhavina a listen. Gavrilov was a kid, when Richter proclaimed to be his student, not the other way around. Ms Derzhavina is a true musicians’ musician, a musician from a heavenly ensemble - she is up there with Richter, but went her own way. Here is Odessa Opera: https://ariananadia.livejournal.com/835328.html (you don’t need to understand the nonsense she wrote, pictures are great)A grandfather of mine was singing there when Richter was active in Odessa Opera. |
thank you apd just downloaded and now listening to Ekaterina Derzhavina Haydn piano sonatas 9 cds Somehow I had never heard of her Gavrilov is one my favorites, his old recordings (Rachmaninoff, Ravel, Schubert, Handel, Prokofiev, Schumann, Shostakovich, Bach , Balakirev, Scriabin, Tchaikovsky) as well as his newer (esp Chopin nocturnes) another USSR musician saga! |
I used to really like Gavrilov ,I have the two cd copy of his and Richters Handel keyboard suites. Why does R ichter start the Harmonious Blacksmith Variations with such a long note ? I find it most unsettling. I am going to linvestigate
Ekaterina Derzhavina
today so thanks apdxyk I shall let you know how I get on. I am into the second week of my take up of Idagio and I have to say that i am really enjoying it and I don't miss the fact that it is only CD playback. I find their playback very fullsome sounding but do miss the abillity to fine tune playback the way Qobuz does but if it is a recocording I like and want a hard copy of I can then record the music stream using Sound Tap and then put the recording into Sound Forge and edit it as I please. |
- 3872 posts total