Ludwig van Beethoven; Frédéric Chopin; Claude Debussy - Piano Works (Sviatoslav Richter)

Information

Composer: Ludwig van Beethoven; Frédéric Chopin; Claude Debussy

1. Beethoven - Andante favori in F major, WoO 57
2. Chopin - 3 Waltzes, Op. 34 "Valses brillantes": No. 1 in A flat major
3. Chopin - 3 Waltzes, Op. 34 "Valses brillantes": No. 2 in A minor
4. Chopin - 3 Waltzes, Op. 34 "Valses brillantes": No. 3 in F major
5. Chopin - Scherzo No. 2 in B flat minor, Op. 31
6. Chopin - Barcarolle in F sharp major, Op. 60
7. Debussy - Suite bergamasque, L. 75: 1. Prélude
8. Debussy - Suite bergamasque, L. 75: 2. Meneut
9. Debussy - Suite bergamasque, L. 75: 3. Clair de lune
10. Debussy - Suite bergamasque, L. 75: 4. Passepied
11. Debussy - Estampes,  L. 100: 1. Pagodes
12. Debussy - Estampes,  L. 100: 2. La soirée dans Grenade
13. Debussy - Estampes,  L. 100: 3. Jardins sous la pluie

Sviatoslav Richter, piano
Date: 1977
Label: Orfeo

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Review

To say we’re spoiled for choice with live Richter recitals would be something of an understatement. Even so, this one from Salzburg in 1977 must go close to the top of the priority list. Unlike some it’s superbly recorded, with plenty of air in the sound and an instrument capable of withstanding fairly imperious fortissimos without losing its tonal bloom or firmness of tuning.

The Andante favori is a gem of a performance, tonally ravishing yet unerringly responsive to the structural flow. In the Chopin group Richter not only displays his customary authority but revels in the music and the occasion. Abandon without indiscipline is the key, and the result is a tremendous sense of elan, bordering on exaltation; the applause and bravos between each piece seem only fitting.

Debussy’s Suite bergamasque goes like a dream, with a ‘Clair de lune’ hypnotically slow yet never in danger of becoming merely prosaic, thanks to sheer beauty of sonority and hypersensitive weighting of harmony. Richter’s concentration wavers a little more in Estampes, and I confess I’ve never quite found his wavelength in this particular cycle. But what a treasurable recital this is otherwise.

-- Gramophone

More reviews:
http://www.classical-music.com/review/beethoven-chopin-debussy
http://www.amazon.com/Sviatoslav-Richter-Chopin-Debussy-Beethoven/dp/B00000DD44

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Ludwig van Beethoven (baptized 17 December 1770 – 26 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. A crucial figure in the transition between the Classical and Romantic eras in Western art music, he remains one of the most famous and influential of all composers. His best-known compositions include 9 symphonies, 5 piano concertos, 1 violin concerto, 32 piano sonatas, 16 string quartets, his great Mass the Missa solemnis and an opera, Fidelio. Beethoven is acknowledged as one of the giants of classical music.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ludwig_van_Beethoven

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Frédéric Chopin (22 February or 1 March 1810 – 17 October 1849) was a Polish composer and virtuoso pianist of the Romantic era who wrote primarily for the solo piano. He gained and has maintained renown worldwide as one of the leading musicians of his era, whose "poetic genius was based on a professional technique that was without equal in his generation". Chopin's music, his status as one of music's earliest superstars, his association (if only indirect) with political insurrection, his love life and his early death have made him a leading symbol of the Romantic era in the public consciousness. His works remain popular, and he has been the subject of numerous films and biographies of varying degrees of historical accuracy.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fr%C3%A9d%C3%A9ric_Chopin

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Claude Debussy (22 August 1862 – 25 March 1918) was a French composer. Along with Maurice Ravel, he was one of the most prominent figures associated with Impressionist music. Debussy was among the most influential composers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and his use of non-traditional scales and chromaticism influenced many composers who followed. Debussy's music is noted for its sensory content and frequent usage of atonality.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claude_Debussy

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Sviatoslav Richter (March 20 [O.S. March 7] 1915 – August 1, 1997) was a Soviet pianist known for the depth of his interpretations, virtuoso technique, and vast repertoire. He is considered one of the greatest pianists of the 20th century. Richter probably had the largest discography but he disliked the recording process, and most of Richter's recordings originate from live performances.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sviatoslav_Richter

http://www.allmusic.com/artist/sviatoslav-richter-mn0000818152/biography

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