Sergei Prokofiev - Piano Concerto No. 5; Piano Sonata No. 8 (Sviatoslav Richter)

Information

Composer: Sergei Prokofiev

1. Piano Concerto No. 5 in G major, Op. 55: 1. Allegro con brio
2. Piano Concerto No. 5 in G major, Op. 55: 2. Moderato ben accentuato
3. Piano Concerto No. 5 in G major, Op. 55: 3. Toccata
4. Piano Concerto No. 5 in G major, Op. 55: 4. Larghetto
5. Piano Concerto No. 5 in G major, Op. 55: 5. Vivo
6. Piano Sonata No. 8 in B flat major, Op. 84: 1. Andante dolce - Allegro moderato - Andante - Andante dolce come prima - Allegro
7. Piano Sonata No. 8 in B flat major, Op. 84: 2. Andante sognando
8. Piano Sonata No. 8 in B flat major, Op. 84: 3. Vivace - Allegro ben marcato - Andantino - Vivace
9. Visions fugitives, Op. 22: Nos. 3, 6 & 9

Sviatoslav Richter, piano
Warsaw National Philharmonic Orchestra
Witold Rowicki, conductor (1-5)

Date: 1959 (1-5), 1961 (6-8), 1962 (9)
Label: Deutsche Grammophon
http://www.deutschegrammophon.com/en/cat/4497442

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Review

The main works on this disc provide a challenging Prokofiev double bill from his master-interpreter. In the fascinating Fifth Piano Concerto, Richter flies through the air with the greatest of ease, supported by the rainbow-coloured safety net of his colleagues; listen several times and, to paraphrase the composer, the outline of a real face – intelligent, wise and witty – will emerge. The heartbreaking Eighth Sonata merits this magisterial performance, charting the work’s painful privacy with poised concern. The bass still isn’t ideally vivid; but it remains my own choice of desert-island piano recording.

-- David Nice, BBC Music Magazine

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Sviatoslov Richter was a friend of the composer, and he played all of this music in Prokofiev's presence. His performances have since acquired almost cult status among pianists--a reputation they richly deserve. The Fifth Piano Concerto is a pithy, technically difficult work in five short movements, which Richter plays as though he had composed them himself. The Eighth Sonata, by contrast, was composed during the Second World War, and the contrast between simple lyricism and horrifying violence leaves no doubt whatsoever as to what the composer was attempting to describe. These mid-price reissues sound better than ever, and artistically speaking, they are priceless.

 -- David Hurwitz

More reviews:
http://www.amazon.com/Prokofiev-Piano-Concerto-No-Sonata/dp/B000001GXD
http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2013/Nov13/Prokofiev_piano_ALC1230.htm

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Sergei Prokofiev (23 April, 1891–March 5, 1953) was a Russian composer, pianist and conductor. As the creator of acknowledged masterpieces across numerous genres, he was one of the major composers of the 20th century. Prokofiev wrote seven completed operas, seven symphonies, eight ballets, five piano concertos, two violin concertos, a cello concerto, a symphony-concerto for cello and orchestra, and nine completed piano sonatas, many of which are widely known and heard. He also enjoyed personal and artistic support from a new generation of Russian performers, notably Sviatoslav Richter and Mstislav Rostropovich.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sergei_Prokofiev

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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 worked tirelessly to learn new pieces. His vast repertoire, around eighty different programs, not counting chamber works, ranged from Handel and Bach to Szymanowski, Berg, Webern, Stravinsky, Bartók, Hindemith, Britten, and Gershwin. Despite his large discography, Richter disliked the recording process, and most of Richter's recordings originate from live performances.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sviatoslav_Richter

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