Dear Yuriy,

And for the unknown member, thanks for this information. Some years ago I was in
contact with Sibelius Academy, in hope of getting their piano faculty to analyze
all the public Richter phonograms. These talks turned unfortunately to nothing,
due the unclear estate matter. Dmitry the Drunk keeps pocketing.

All the best

Antti Sairanen

Thanks to one member of the www.sviatoslavrichter forum I have found out that
there is a great mistake on the
BRILLIANT CLASSICS ADD MCPS 9013/30
RACHMANINOFF
Piano Concerto No. 1 in F sharp minor Op.1
Live recording: April 29 1969 (parts 1, 2, 3)

1. Richter did not perform this Concerto after 1959.
2. The performer in this  recording is not Sviatoslav Richter. It is easy to
hear. We have  compared the second and third parts on the CD and PT-recording

9/3/49 - Moscow - Live - USSR State O./Agarkov - 2nd and 3rd mvts - (PT)

and found the differences. I used Sound Forge to do this too.
The first part of the Concerto on BC evidently was not recorded by Richter
either. It is not his style.

Richter plays Debussy

http://cgi.ebay.com/RICHTER-Debussy-Suite-Bergam-Preludes-CD-MEL-NEW-2009_W0QQit\
emZ350267096775QQcmdZViewItemQQptZMusic_CDs?hash=item518d8bbec7



Richter plays Chopin

http://cgi.ebay.com/RICHTER-Chopin-Polon-Scherzo-4-Noct-CD-MEL-NEW-2009_W0QQitem\
Z350273571296QQcmdZViewItemQQptZMusic_CDs?hash=item518dee89e0

Yuri.

----- Original Message -----
From: John Graney
To: sviatoslavrichter@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Wednesday, November 18, 2009 16:35
Subject: [ Sviatoslav Richter List ] Re: New Melodiya CD



On Nov 17, 2009, at 8:23 PM, Jose Manuel Araque wrote:

> I finally got my CD, well worth the wait, I am very happy with it,
> sounds cleaner than any of the previous recordings.

There still is some mystery about this Melodiya issue:
Question 1: What is the code number on the CD?
Question 2: Where can it be purchased?

Cheers,
John Graney




[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Hi,

Either of for example these two should answer both of your questions...:

http://cgi.ebay.com/RICHTER-Debussy-su-prel-Live-CD-2009-Digipack_W0QQitemZ26048\
7761585QQcmdZViewItemQQptZMusic_CDs?hash=item3ca647ceb1

or

http://cgi.ebay.com/RICHTER-Debussy-Suite-Bergam-Preludes-CD-MEL-NEW-2009_W0QQit\
emZ350267096775QQcmdZViewItemQQptZMusic_CDs?hash=item518d8bbec7

Got my copy of the Debussy from one and the Chopin from the other. Both have
been very reliable, I've purchased from them in the past as well (moreover
they've been shipping registered mail even though it's not been mentioned, to
what I recall, for the same low postage, and they communicate well).

Cheers,

Timo

--- In sviatoslavrichter@yahoogroups.com, John Graney <jgraneysr@...> wrote:

> There still is some mystery about this Melodiya issue:
>  Question 1:  What is the code number on the CD?
>  Question 2:  Where can it be purchased?
>
> Cheers,
> John Graney
>

On Nov 17, 2009, at 8:23 PM, Jose Manuel Araque wrote:

> I finally got my CD, well worth the wait, I am very happy with it,
> sounds cleaner than any of the previous recordings.


There still is some mystery about this Melodiya issue:
	 Question 1:  What is the code number on the CD?
	 Question 2:  Where can it be purchased?

Cheers,
John Graney

I finally got my CD, well worth the wait, I am very happy with it, sounds
cleaner than any of the previous recordings.

jose manuel araque


On Oct 1, 2009, at 3:49 PM, mort wrote:
>
> The Bergamasque on this new Melodiya CD is well played, as is the
> Salzburg one on Orfeo, but the Orfeo sound is much better indeed. I
> enjoy them both.

You lucky dog! If ever you for some insane reason need to rid yourself of that
copy, you now know where to turn to...

It is a great performance (WTC), and if memory serves he himself considered it
his most successfull one among all those on tape, recording-quality warts and
all. The latter seldom distract in the case of Richter anyway, that much is
obvious.

Enjoy,

T.

--- In sviatoslavrichter@yahoogroups.com, TOM BRANNIGAN <brannigan_tom@...>
wrote:
>
> I had the good fortune of obtaining VICC60071-74 from overseas just as it was
made available for sale in Japan and it does have the Jewel Case artwork you
show. I purchased it as part of the JVC Legacy Series VICC60071-80. To this day,
I've never heard a more exciting Op.31 No.2 "Tempest" in my life than what's
featured in that set. The WTC is somewhat sonically flawed in parts, but it
certainly doesn't distract the listener from thoroughly enjoying themselves.
>
> I really regret never seeing the Maestro perform Live.
>
> Regards, Tom B.
>

Tere T.

Yes the Richter reading I refer to is on the Palexa CD. His long term impresario
and friend Jacques Leiser tells that just this CD brought in his mind the
genuine Richter, as best, strongest. His performance of Funeiralles 1958 in
Budapest is something unique, something which in fact can't be compared to.
Sofronitsky did criticize Richter for the theatretical elements in his playing -
after Richter had criticized Sofronitsky for the same - but I could imagine he
would have said in case of Richter's Funerailles reading: great theatre, but let
be!

Or perhaps he would have left the room, swearing never ever to listen such
rubbish from his younger colleague, new comer from the Zithomir countryside...
and taken back to his flat for reflecting on what Richter did.

This piece, Funeiralles by Liszt must be one of the pieces which shows in
serious terms if you are a pianist or a Pianist. Barere and Horowitz are not
able to compete with Sofronitsky.

Berman might have been in his older days. Say he had chosen to play Funeiralles
as an encore in the recital in Prag Spring once in in 80s.
The concert program was not too interesting and playd without any "inspriration"
by beware the encores. A very great pianist was woken.


Best,

Antti


ps. I do have the performance you refer to on LP.
pps. "tere" in Finnish is about the same as "hi" in English.

Thanks for this; it seems tempting and easy to then simply sample an individual
disc set or two, if there is no special space-saving box or something to miss
when buying the whole set. Might do just that. Best, T.

--- In sviatoslavrichter@yahoogroups.com, TOM BRANNIGAN <brannigan_tom@...>
wrote:
>
> I purchased the TNC "Richter in Kiev" 17CD collection just about the first
week it was available. It had no box. It also didn't include an entire movement
of D960! As with any  body of work of Sviatoslav Richter's however, there's
plenty of brilliant performances. The sound isn't particularly grand......some
distortion here.....the occasional warped tape there, but it's Richter.....and
the repertoire is intriguing.  It will take you quite awhile just to get through
with this collection. Time well spent.....time well spent indeed. Others may
disagree with me on the merits of the Kiev recordings, but I found them quite
interesting and historically relevant.
>
>
> Regards, Tom Brannigan
>

Thanks, first of all, for the interesting link -- didn't know of the existence
of this initiative. Finally a forum, not a competition! And all in the spirit of
Richter himself -- he, after all, had a track record of his own as a
freethinking jury member, too, let's remember.

And let's hope the times will soon turn more propitious for book publishers as
well. I don't like to think this is all about to bring some more permanent
changes in the global cultural landscape and consumer behavior (enough of it
with the classical recording industry crisis alone).

Have a good week,

T.

--- In sviatoslavrichter@yahoogroups.com, "AnttiS" <anttisairanen@...> wrote:
>
> Timo,
>
> Thanks for your kind words and patient waiting for what may come.
> Only yesterday/today another Finn wrote to me exactly the same as you about
the documentarist/artist balance, in relation to one book of ours (mine) in pipe
line. Also Rasmussen "balanced on the same tight rope" when  writing of his
Richter bio, trying to keep from falling too deep in either side. Interesting,
eternal and a difficult to manage question, which played a very central role for
Richter, too.
>
> The times aren't the best for publishing books, but I hope and trust that 2010
will be better. In any case our publishing of Anna Richter's memoirs, Dagmar
Reincke's short stories about Svetik and Walter Moskalew's extensive
introduction are soon ready for the editorial work and our slow book publishing
firm will be proudly presenting these in 2010.
>
> Greetings
>
> Antti
>
> ps. Checking the Richter competitions site brings to this
http://www.richterforum.com/
>

Hi Antti,

Thanks for the nice writeup -- not just intriguing in its content but a
pleasure to read as well. Of the performances you mention I'm only
familiar with Richter's (the same performance you were listening to: I
may be wrong but I think there is only one other recording by him of
this work, with actually both of them very difficult to get hands on --
even the fairly recent Palexa release seems now out of print). You
describe it with very well: it is nearly terrifying as a listening
experience, and that's just about the highest compliment one can give to
a rendition of it.

Must have been the moon phase but I too was listening to this very
recording again last night after a long pause since the previous time,
along with some Berman -- not the "Funerailles" but his '79 Carnegie
Hall recital, in particular his Liszt "Traervorspiel and Trauermarsch"
(what was it about this weekend!?). Berman's piano tone, too, is so
special (each individual note sounds so fundamental and regal while at
the same time strikingly well-defined around what I guess in
criticspeech would be called a clear and rather sharply drawn "tonal
center" -- he really had quite a spectacular touch) and it fits these
shorter mood pieces so well; every time I listen to him I wonder why I
don't do that more often, just for the amazement factor if nothing else.
His Rach 3 is the only version of this work that I can bring myself to
listen to these days (although I like Zilberstein in it too; I think
both cases are admittedly much helped by what is much more than mere
accompaniment by always-so-right Abbado). It's wonderfully chamber-like
in the execution; no excess and bombasm in order though the arsenal is
clearly so very mighty and readily mustered when called for by the
occasion. (The recording is available on CD again though you can also
sample it e.g. at

<http://www.imeem.com/mangosango13/music/d2N4YXKW/lazar-berman-london-symphony-o\
rchestra-claudio-abbado-pia/> .)

Now will the week bring some sunlight into these grim corners of ours...

Cheers,

T.

interesting comparison. I like the Horowitz and Richter recordings. I do not
know the Sofronitsky.... it is not on youtube unfortunately...

Dear all you,

I've been lately trying to listen and in particular to understand five
respectable readings of Liszt's Funérailles, namely those by

Simon Barere (September 1, 1896 – 2 April, 1951)
Vladimir Sofronitsky (May 8, 1901 – August 26, 1961)
Vladimir Horowitz (October 1, 1903 – November 5, 1989)
Sviatoslav  Richter (March 20, 1915 – August 1, 1997)
Lazar Berman (February 26, 1930 – February 6, 2005)

Barere, a Felix Blumenfeldt pupil, like Horowitz, was a motoric genius, Russian,
but emigrated to USA, like  Vladimir Horowitz, who was Vladimir Horowitz.
Sofronitsky was the the god, Richter the genius and Berman a virtuoso of all
virtuosi in the USSR piano world. (listen Tchaikovsky/Feinberg: Scherzo from
Symphony No.6 Lazar Berman, Moscow June 6th 1950 f.ex. at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dR7hEOJLhWw, if any doubt)

All but Richter and Horowitz are heard on reasonably good quality mono LPs, but
that with Barere is a so called "2 channel re-recording" i.e. fake stereo.
Richter is heard on a cd with as original a sound as possible, as Horowitz, I
reckon.

Barere is likely in his mid or late forties (or close to his sudden death 1951),
Horowitz in his 30s, Sofronitsky 59 (and in twilight of his life, terminally
ill) Richter in mid forties (going strong) and Berman 31.

Funérailles is an elegy written in October 1849 by Liszt in response to the
crushing of the 1848 Hungarian Revolution by the Habsburgs. It is said that this
piece was written in memory of Chopin, who died on 17 October 1849.
But Liszt tells that the piece was written in memory of his three friend who
perished under the crushing of the uprise. But this or that, this piece of music
demands exceptional technical and musico-dramatical resources of its
interpreters.

Barere plays neatly all the notes but without really honouring the three
victims, neither the music. In spite more colours and nuances, we meet about the
same problem by Horowitz. Yes, they can play, "everything" is in order but the
question why, for which purpose keeps open.

Sofronitsky offers a different, very strong, multidimensional reading. Not only
the nuances and right notes are here, but also the architecture. Berman shows
that he is great virtuoso, but does not yet answer all the questions by the
music, what this great pianist does later in his career.

Richter! This reading of his from Budapest 1958 may not be great pianism like
that by Sofronitsky, but something utmostly dramatic, powerful theater, a
sublime reading of a melodrama. The most striking is however the non plus ultra
form, architecture of his reading. It is almost frightening to follow him up to
the "peaks" as mellow as the "valleys" the are.

My first thought when listening to this was that there must lie behind some
personal, dramatic loss, tragedy. Could he have had his father's cruel destiny
in his thoughts?

But as it seems there was no other personal reason than the pianist's dramatic
sense and strong fantasy. Certainly not the worst basis for performing a piece
of music.

Barere is in a way representing the old, romantic school, pre WW2 esthetics
(Isidor Philipp, a Liszt pupil and most notable figure in French music life had
heard Barere and tells that his reading of Liszt sonata reminded Liszt's own
reading!) while Richter and naturally Berman are of the new post WW2 generation,
what comes to the esthetics, the solutions, goals they choose in performing of
music. Sofronitsky and Horowitz are in way on both sides, yet very different,
indeed.

The far best reading of these five to my listening is no doubt by Sofronitsky.
I'm sure Richter and the others would have agreed with this. But on the other
hand I could imagine Sofronitsky applauding for Richter's most exceptional
Funeiralles.

And wouldn't have minded having been present by their discussion about
Funeiralles and music and performing of it in general.


Regards

Antti Sairanen
Region South Jutland
Denmark

I have a copy of this release and am listening to it now.  The sound quality is
mixed.  The quieter parts are clear but there is noticable distortion in the
louder passages.

The interpretation is all that one might hope for: hypnotic, passionate,
dramatic and totally convincing.  Highly recommended.

- Paul

--- In sviatoslavrichter@yahoogroups.com, "email2cal" <email2cal@...> wrote:
>
> product code: BBCL 4265-2
> BBC Legends
>
> SCHUBERT: Piano Sonata in C minor, D. 958
> BARTÓK: Fifteen Hungarian Peasant Songs
> SZYMANOWSKI: Two pieces from `Masques', Op. 34
> PROKOFIEV: Sonata No. 7 in B flat major, Op. 83
>
> Recorded: Royal Festival Hall, London, 7 December 1970
>
> <http://www.mdt.co.uk/MDTSite/product/BBCL42652.htm>
>

Timo,

Thanks for your kind words and patient waiting for what may come.
Only yesterday/today another Finn wrote to me exactly the same as you about the
documentarist/artist balance, in relation to one book of ours (mine) in pipe
line. Also Rasmussen "balanced on the same tight rope" when  writing of his
Richter bio, trying to keep from falling too deep in either side. Interesting,
eternal and a difficult to manage question, which played a very central role for
Richter, too.

The times aren't the best for publishing books, but I hope and trust that 2010
will be better. In any case our publishing of Anna Richter's memoirs, Dagmar
Reincke's short stories about Svetik and Walter Moskalew's extensive
introduction are soon ready for the editorial work and our slow book publishing
firm will be proudly presenting these in 2010.

Greetings

Antti

ps. Checking the Richter competitions site brings to this
http://www.richterforum.com/

I had the good fortune of obtaining VICC60071-74 from overseas just as it was
made available for sale in Japan and it does have the Jewel Case artwork you
show. I purchased it as part of the JVC Legacy Series VICC60071-80. To this day,
I've never heard a more exciting Op.31 No.2 "Tempest" in my life than what's
featured in that set. The WTC is somewhat sonically flawed in parts, but it
certainly doesn't distract the listener from thoroughly enjoying themselves.

I really regret never seeing the Maestro perform Live.

Regards, Tom B.