Sviatoslav Richter would have been 105

Sviatoslav Richter would have been 105

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norman lebrecht

March 20, 2020

It’s his birthday today.

He was a survivor who still survives:

Comments

  • Piano Lover says:

    Indeed I remember that date every year.
    His music is deply stuck in my mind.
    Discovering new items is a gem.
    Listening frequently to his recordings is a sunshine in my daily life.

  • MezzoLover says:

    Sviatoslav Richter once said: “The interpreter is really an executant, carrying out the composer’s intentions to the letter. He doesn’t add anything that isn’t already in the work. If he is talented, he allows us to glimpse the truth of the work that is in itself a thing of genius and that is reflected in him. He shouldn’t dominate the music, but should dissolve into it.”

    Yes, he was a survivor, and he will always survive simply by showing us, through his numerous recordings, the truth of the music he so artlessly played.

    • M2N2K says:

      If he really said that, he often violated his own credo most viciously. Unfortunately, “artlessly” was frequently the primary feature of his playing.

  • Greg Bottini says:

    Buon compleanno, Maestro di tutti maestri!

  • M McAlpine says:

    I had a ticket to hear him many years ago. Then he cancelled….

  • Jay says:

    He’s dead for heavens sake !! give this worship of the
    dead a rest.

  • Andy says:

    Wonderful, wonderful pianist. If you’re struggling to find things to do while we’re all on lockdown, listen to his recordings, and try to watch the documentary Bruno Monsaingeon did with Richter.

  • Alexander Tarak says:

    One of the real greats !!!

  • Mike Model says:

    Thank you for remembering!

  • Delphine1962 says:

    Again, a wonderful uplift to my day. I don’t think there is any other performing musician who exerted a more profound influence on my own musical development; he was a Colossus, and his spirit lives on to inspire the generation unable to hear and see him in a live situation.

    • Piano Lover says:

      You can approach his talent by listening to his numerous live recordings you know..Example:the Leipzig 1963…or the Sofia 1958 recital.Two Cds 3TO BE TAKEN ON AN ISLAND”

  • Shalom Rackovsky says:

    Richter was a giant. In my opinion, he functioned on a completely different plane from almost every other performer I am familiar with. I had the tremendous privilege of seeing him live 4 times, and I remember every moment of each recital.

  • Katherine duQuesnay says:

    Wonderful gift ! Thank you!

  • carol morgan says:

    It was sensitive yet powerful. It took me away from this madness.

  • Lysandros says:

    I too remember his birthday every year…i was lucky enough to see him live about 25 times from 1975 to 1992…i just feel bad that i did not go to more concerts of his when i could have done!…he really was the philosopher of the piano…i think Gould describes his playing and musicianship perfectly…i had a ticket to hear him play Davidsbundlertanze at the Salle Pleyel in Paris but he cancelled due to illness…i dont think he ever recorded that piece or programmed it anywhere else…i just wonder what he could have done with it…such a loss!…i will cherish his memory to my very grave

  • Margrith Broger says:

    It’s absolutely magnificent that great artists like these have the sensibility to share their talent with us. Thank you very much! You have brought much joy into our life.

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