Sviatoslav Richter (1915-97)
left behind the extraordinary legacy of a highly sensitive, angst-ridden yet
ultimately serene musician, a true monstre sacré, a perfectionist in search of
the absolute. The uncharacteristic liberty of his playing and the sense of
exultation is astounding, illuminating these romantic compositions based on
national folklore. They form a unique, totally unprecedented combination.
One simply cannot admire him
enough. Richter is not just the "poet of the piano" but also its
"mage". He literally sparkles,
dazzles with color, scintillates with energy and stuns with technique, and what
is more we constantly feel that everything is happening directly before our
eyes--right "here" and right "now".
The slow movement with its
incredible pianissimos could find a place on albums of music for meditation,
and the finale sounds surprisingly poetic and airy. As we listen we have no
sense of the pianist's age. Richter plays the fast movements with the dash and
vitality of a thirty-year-old. While in the slow movement something so spectral
suddenly emanates from the music that it sends a shiver down our spines.
Antonín Dvořák
Concerto for Piano and Orchestra in G minor, Op.33
1.Allegro agitato
2.Andante sostenuto
3.Finale; Allegro con fuoco
Sviatoslav Richter, piano
Prague Symphony Orchestra
Václav Smetáček, conductor
Recorded Live, 2 June 1966
Prague.
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