Sviatoslav Richter plays Beethoven Sonata No. 1 in F minor, op. 2, no. 1 (3/3)

[mcrettable]

But why have so much speed when you have wrong notes :(

[truecrypt]

@mcrettable

Because music is not about "wrong notes" and "speed"...

[mcrettable]

@truecrypt With a Beethoven piano sonata it absolutely is. Beethoven was so incredibly strict and wanted his music to be played correctly to the note.

[truecrypt]

@mcrettable

Quod licet Jovi non licet bovi. ;)

[woutissimo]

@truecrypt

I agree. This is an absolutely electrifying interpretation by Richter. Just try to image how it must have been to hear him playing this live...

[ermpp65]

@mcrettable

If I couldn't feel how incredibly thrilling is this way of playing the piano, I'd check my vital constants...;-)

[jaho101]

richter is doing exactly what made him amazing. he had gigantic hands, and an amazing mental fortitude to accompany it. this meant he could play pieces in a way that no one else could. that's part of what being a true interprative artist is, he does something surprising but in a controlled way. he does take liberties, but he also channels so much of beethoven's impulsivity. would beethoven approve? who knows what he would have written if he knew a pianist like richter would one day exist.

[meFaloN23]

"You want presto? I give you presto."

[evifnoskcaj]

I thought I was dreaming when I first heard and saw this video. His runs are absolutely breath-taking.

[awesomekapownoises23]

Exciting stuff!! love this

[999Arcanine]

poor thing he died at 1997

[999Arcanine]

Hard.

[MaximPodolsky]

In my score it says "Prestissimo" and also you're told to play half notes at 112 bpm, so that it's very unambiguous what "prestissimo" means. He plays it very close to that tempo.

[mario54671]

@MaximPodolsky Yeah, mine tells you to play the half notes at 116 bpm (Edizione Curci-Milan, edited by Artur Schnabel). Richter is doing just that! After all, this is the young and obnoxious Beethoven, so this extreme Prestissimo, I think, is very fitting. :)

[Shahe5]

I think he can play piano...

[newFranzFerencLiszt]

at this insane tempo this piece becomes almost as difficult as Chopin etudes he plays....

[josefkesselring]

Awesome performance.

[AkvileAlex]

Bloody hell! When I played this part for my exams, it was million times slower, although it looked quite fast for me.

[MetalAge19]

Richter is a great pianist, but his style is-play as fast as you can. Once he played Chopin`s etudes on a concert, and he played them in much faster tempo than the tempo written by Chopin, and after the concert someone asked him, ,,Maestro, what was that? why so fast? and he said: ,,Because i can." I think that playing the piano isnt all about speed, emotions got first place.thats my opinion

[truecrypt]

@MetalAge19

You make a wrong conclusion and try to make a case telling somewhat doubtful story... ;)

One could make almost the same case saying that Richter plays slow movements slower than others... Do you think playing slower makes performance more "musical"?

[MetalAge19]

@truecrypt Nor slower nor too fast can make it more musical, yet the right tempo, it is hard to find a pianist who plays in a good tempo, i dont know why, obviously they are not emotionaly connected to the piece so Prestissimo means ,,play as fast as u can " to them. Nikolai Lugansky is an exception! And please tell me, what did you actually hear listening to this performance, but, brasbrrbrbasrbrbrbrb ????!!! Im sure beethoven didnt have the same feeling (when he was working on it)

[truecrypt]

@MetalAge19

Obviously everybody judges any performance according to his own musical experience, knowledge, taste, intellectual abilities, etc. For you this is "brasbrrbrbasrbrbrbrb" - for me it's not. As for "why pianists are not emotionally connected" to this piece... may be you're the one who's disconnected? Trust me, when judging great masters it's always wiser to assume that they know better than you do. And of course, don't be so sure about Beethoven's feelings re this movement! ;)

[quisiful]

@MetalAge19 mr metalage there is not right tempo......are you pianist?

[MetalAge19]

@quisiful I am..man forget about this, i`m tired of arguing about this while no one understands my point..the soul is the most important thing in each composition,and this is a sonata not an etude, soul is needed

[christoweb]

@MetalAge19 Have you heard one of his Schubert recordings ? Just do it and we'll talk about speed then

[mario54671]

@MetalAge19 Well, which Chopin Études were you referring to specifically? Because, if you're referring to the one in C-Sharp Minor (Op. 10 No. 4)....it's marked Presto, which means "very fast." Most Chopin Études are meant to be very technically challenging, so yes, most are rather fast. BUT, Op. 25 No. 7, he plays that one quite slow, so there's a bit of an inconsistency here.

Also, in this particular piece, it's marked "Prestissimo." How can you call it "too fast"???

[MetalAge19]

@mario54671 Prestissimo doesnt mean ,,play as fast as you can" or play with speed of the light. and its a fact that he plays much faster. Why do people like the famous people just cause they are famous, and they dont see if they are really good in their job? What, you hear Richter and u are impressed, u dont pay attention at how he plays the piano. Please tell me where is the soul, lol

[mario54671]

@MetalAge19 Technically, no Classical musician is really "famous." "Prestissimo" literally means like..."as quick as possible" or "as fast as possible." Any time you add an "-issimo" to something in Italian, it means like...the maximum, or the most possible. This may not be the case with dynamics since they simply add more ƒ's, distorting the whole meaning, but that's different.

Sure, he plays a lot faster than most people in this piece, but it's Prestissimo, so it isn't out of place.

[mario54671]

@MetalAge19 Now, to respond to your "where is the soul," well that's in his genius sound that he produces. Sure, speed isn't everything, but when they're using speed on a piece that's VERY appropriate, and it's more than what you're used to, that doesn't mean it's bad. Playing "with feeling/soul" doesn't mean you HAVE to play slower. What really matters is that we hear the young and very stubborn/obnoxious Beethoven coming out. And I think he does a fantastic job pulling that off.

[epessina]

@MetalAge19 He plays so fast because is written "Prestissimo" and... obviously he can! :-) GREAT PERFORMANCE

[MetalAge19]

@epessina Correct, he can, thats my point. He plays as fast as he can, to show his skills, he said that.

[epessina]

@MetalAge19 ... :-) to follow the score too: is written "Prestissimo" ..... and obviously doing so, he can show also his skills :-) all the best! :-)

[MarkusJosef1988]

@MetalAge19 Hey. I can't play this piece so fast as Richter. But, the Tempo written by Beethoven to this piece is "Prestissimo". And the musical definition of Prestissimo is: "As fast as possible". So, this piece is played well :-).

[benabevi]

@MetalAge19

very right

I must say that he plays the sonata not as music but as a etude. Poor.

[BassicStorm]

this is 4 sure Beethovens most genial early keyboard work!

[bonsema1]

I always listen to this keyboard artist, and never any other one

The word ARTIST is right, his interpretations are always of the highest artisitc level.

he reported to the Moscow conservatory when he was about twenty years old, but there wasn´t very much they could teach him...

Which was true except heinrich neuhaus thought that he could catapult this player on to the world stages and he did

[Akee1990]

Yes!!That's what I'm talking about. Beat that damn piano

[meredith218461]

Although Richter can carry it off technically, for me he rushes the tempo. This is particularly disappointing after his hitherto perfectly judged tempi in the previous mvts.

[leodlll]

Umm Its just fantastic¡ I dont know what to say.. if it has anything bad, i dont konw what, its true, like TheBilly0101 said, than he made a mistake, but its not a wrong way to play that, just a momentary mistake. (I´m sorry because of my english, im from spain).

[leodlll]

Umm Its just fantastic¡ I dont know what to say.. if it has anything bad, i dont konw what, its true, like TheBilly0101 said, than he made a mistake, but its not a wrong way to play that, just a momentary mistake.

[antoniusultimus]

My theory is that he never intended to play it this fast, but he got nervous! :P jkjk

[truecrypt]

@antoniusultimus

Wrong theory... ;)

[evifnoskcaj]

This is insane! What a crazy tempo yet what precision! If only he could have gotten rid of his infamously pervasive performance anxiety!

[efitzger76]

Anger and power....as written. I love it. 

[TheBilly0101]

Haha he made a mistake at 0:45

[mario54671]

@TheBilly0101 Yes because classical music is all about getting the right notes. Woe to Richter's "mistakes"! ;)

[TeQuiLLaXY]

Although it's meant to be prestissimo this interpretation is to fast for me. Very well played, surely much better than i can ever play it, but i would prefer it just a touch slower.

[ThePVGS1]

Several mistakes...but superb!!! It is second best, with the best being Barenboim!

[katehoney90]

too fast!

[truecrypt]

@katehoney90

It may seem too fast to your taste, but the question remains if your taste is better than Richter's... Since your knowledge of piano performance is rather rudimentary, I'd be more careful with public statements. Of course you're free to express your views, but don't forget - you're judging the man who knew about music much more than you know now. Don't rush to judge.

[thunder1909]

@truecrypt

Richter plays this in a German style and character, with absolute precision and little emotion. This is neither a flaw or good thing, it is simply his style. Personally, I dislike the way he plays this, and that's why I enjoy listening to the great Russian pianists rather than Richter. An exception would obviously be Daniel Barenboim, who plays this much better than Richter did in this performance.

[truecrypt]

@thunder1909

Since when "German style" is characterized by "absolute precision and little emotion"? Where do you see/hear "little emotion"? If you don't want to hear emotions - that's another matter... As for Barenboim - he is superb, but I'm quite sure he wouldn't agree with you.

[thunder1909]

@truecrypt

All I'm saying is that he is playing like a German. Richter keeps himself within tight boundaries of tempo, character and feeling. This is how he plays. Here, I cannot see/hear his emotion because of the speed at which he plays, and again, as I said, he plays quite simply and precisely, which is a German characteristic.

[truecrypt]

@thunder1909

...and all I'm saying is that "precision and simplicity" are great qualities and they belong not only to Germans. You can't see/hear his emotions simply because your own perception is set by Barenboim's performance, which is excellent. I would also suggest to listen this recording in it's entirety. You wrote that this performance is "fast, boring and showing of technique". I agree with "fast" and disagree with the rest of your opinion.

[thunder1909]

@truecrypt

It is IMPOSSIBLE to portray all the musical characteristics at this kind of tempo. The downside of playing fast is that you lose more and more of musicality and move towards a virtuoso performance. While this may have been Richter's personal interpretation, I find that this movement (while marked Prestissimo) is still very musical, more musical than Richter is playing it. And again, Richter plays it this way because he plays in a strict German style and he himself is German.

[truecrypt]

@thunder1909

Strange arguments! You're trying to apply generic approach, i.e." fast = empty virtuoso performance, slower = musical and full of feelings." While your theory probably works for majority of students, it doesn't work here. The second argument ("Richter plays like this because he's German") - is not much better than the first one. Again, primitive arguments don't support your views. Better say you don't like it and without trying to use an "objective reasoning".

[platmosic]

@truecrypt @thunder1909

From my understanding, Prestissimo = fastest

I am not saying this is the best interpretation (because it isn't), but I see no problem with the speed.

Beethoven himself was pretty virtuosic, and I find this sonata very academic.

And why can't a virtuosic performance musical? Beethoven's third published Piano Sonata (C major) would be a great example. After all, that's the reason why Richter is there, not you or me or someone else.

[davidofpiano423]

@truecrypt Forgive me, but isn't Richter Soviet? I know that his father was a Viennese composer, but I thought Richter was born in Zhitomir and grew up in Odessa, Ukraine. One could say that he has German lineage... not sure where is mother was from.

I like his playing, he follows the score exactly and only makes minor mistakes. There's little room for feeling and musicality when playing this fast but I think it comes across in this performance because Richter is brilliant, German or not.

[truecrypt]

@davidofpiano423

Yes, Richter is/was a Soviet/Russian pianist. His mother was Russian and father - German. Culturally he clearly belongs to what is known as Russian Intelligentsia. Ethnicity has nothing to do with this definition. Germans, Jews, Russians, Georgians, Armenians, etc. could be part of this class of highly intelligent and enlightened people.

[jimraw1]

@truecrypt That Soviet heritage gave him problems at times. During a 1970 concert with David Oistrakh, anti-Soviet protesters disrupted his Carnegie Hall concert. He also belived American audiences were almost impossible to please because they had such high expectations, so as a result he refused to play in the U.S. Being a homosexual behind the Iron Curtain, as well as having his father shot as a spy also were huge factors in his life, and to his low-opinion at times of his own abilites.

[truecrypt]

@jimraw1

Yes, all those factors had an impact on his life... to what degree - I don't know...

As for his reluctance to perform in the US, there is a simpler explanation - he had an "airplane phobia".

Richter blamed himself in his father death... Probably it was the strongest and the most complicated psychological issue of this extraordinary man.

[jimraw1]

@truecrypt Perhaps insanity or being manic depressive goes hand in hand with some geniuses. Glenn Gould suffered from many of the same traits, and I think most critics would name them as two of the greatest pianists of the 20th century. If you were to ask most pianists who they admired most, I think Richter and Art Tatum would top the list. I admit being a huge Rubinstein disciple till I heard Richter's recording of the Appassionata - it was like a revelation. Hope he has found peace.

[RabidCh]

@thunder1909

Can you please stop calling this "strict German style". There is no real "German" style and people aren't forced to play in X-ethnicity style because they are of X-ethnicity. You're trying to describe Richter's playing in a very generalized and meaningless (empty) way. Yes, I don't like it very much either, but your argument is absolutely laughable because of some very dumb statements that give away your lack of knowledge about piano playing.

[efitzger76]

@thunder1909 This movement should not be domesticated. Richter's performance (and more importantly, interpretation) is spot on. This movement without a sincere level of recklessness is, quite simply, not Beethoven.

[berlinzerberus]

that´s a prejudice indeed.probably you mean istead of playing 'simply' to play by reducing the temperature.'precisely',no,it has always been said that the german school isnt very precise because german pianists dont like practising.

so your assumptions are pretty wrong.richter was half german but he didnt play 'simply',never,instead he was a great virtuoso and a distinguished musician.think of the great german interpreters:kempff,backhaus,g­ieseking,they neither played simply nor precisely.

[ThePVGS1]

@berlinzerberus I agree.

[punkpoetry]

@thunder1909 ever heard Wilhelm Kempff play Beethoven? Edwin Fischer? your facile generalizations are worthless.

[CeaserXIX]

@thunder1909

It is so personal: I have listened to this part many times and still keep listening, to me it is an essential interpretation; what many people find fast, I find totally as it should be and that it is this tempo that helps capture and communicate the meaning of this piece.

[ermpp65]

@thunder1909

I always had the impression that, when playing Beethoven, Barenboim "had looked for inspiration" in Richter's playing... I may be wrong but, in my humble opinion and to my personal taste, nobody has ever reached (and by far!) the depth and the rithmic, emotional and performing power of Richter's Beethoven. For me, he is a genious, try to listen to him free of preconceptions, you will realize then how far, far reaching his playing is!

[bpep257009]

To fast and very sloppy in the opening section, especially the 2nd time through!! All together not very artistic and heartfelt.

[truecrypt]

@bpep257009

Would you be so kind to deliberate a little? You express "strong" opinion without much proof. Could you please provide an example of "heartfelt" performance of Presto?

[advisorC101]

Thank you for posting this. I always love listening to Richter, that endless depth in his playing is what I treasure the most from his artistic identity.

[kieran48]

Was that an epic fail at 1:45?

[truecrypt]

Only in your mind...

[bpep257009]

@kieran48 Oh yes it was!

[truecrypt]

@bpep257009

Only in your mind...

[ComradeKomaron]

What is marking? PRESTISSIMO. This means presto, as fast as possible and then even more.

[ComradeKomaron]

@ComradeKomaron so therefore it is the proper tempo.

[AkvileAlex]

I'm playing this Beethoven Sonata, 3 part on my music school graduation.. But it will be a little slower when i'll play it :)

[francescorasmus]

Everybody who says that this is too fast are wrong! Maybe it is fast, but let Richter decide what tempo he'd like to play. If anyone else than Richter decided which tempo Richter plays his music, it would not be music. He is doing the right thing.

[thunder1909]

Too fast.

[guccirushgirl]

AMAZING !!

[ipublica]

Your comment is lucid also under another point of view. It was exactly what years later an American pianist at conservatory told me. I was much too sense, I did not relax enough, and he gave me relaxation exercises. But it was only with giving up classical completely and doing my own spontaneous music that over the next two decades I completely relaxed. Today I could play it perhaps, if I had the time for practicing. When you see that Beehoven was so young when he composed this, it's genius.

[KhagarBalugrak]

This is incredibly fast, but the interpretation is very mechanical and without nuance or subtlety. But the music still does come through well enough, regardless of Richter not adding anything to it. Overall, however, I think Richter played it fast because he could - not because it really sounds better at this tempo. And speed is not the same thing as beauty.

[ipublica]

Everybody who thinks that Beethoven is easy to play, is mistaken. It's the most difficult to play there is in the whole of piano literature. To look Richter here, watch him how he plays Ravel, as a comparison - then you see how he can be at ease. But here he's NOT. And for good reason!!!!

[KhagarBalugrak]

Yes, it's some of the most difficult music there is, because it makes you tense up as you play it. You have to overcome the innate tension in the music and somehow relax even as you play something that forces you to be tense.

[ipublica]

@KhagarBalugrak Very lucid comment. I had sensed it had to be played as Richter play it, but of course could not do it. I was a late starter, began at 18, and that was when I was 20. I found Richter's recording only much later but it fully confirmed by primary intuition that that is the requirement. Beethoven must have been very demanding as to performance. I have listened to a few other recordings, but they can hardly be compared with Richter's fury. But it's not Richter's fury I think, but Bs.

[superstar4567]

1:43

Was that suppose to happen? It doesn't sound right

[truecrypt]

No, it was not suppose to happen... but happened.

[thunder1909]

That beginning hurts my ears. Why is his forte so loud and sharp?

[truecrypt]

Obviously either Richter's forte is "too loud and sharp" or your ears are too sensitive...

[thunder1909]

I liked Richter in his older years. This is not his best interpretation of this sonata in general. And no, my ears are perfectly fine, I just find his banging a bit too much. For my tastes, at least....

[LucerneWorker]

Or maybe your speakers are too loud...my speakers say Richter doesn't play loud at ALL!

[ctrainyu]

@thunder1909 (Hint: he plays it quite perfectly)

[thunder1909]

@ctrainyu

My friend, just because it is Richter, it doesn't mean it is perfect. Please listen to a fine master of Beethoven by the name of Daniel Barenboim, and you will see and hear the difference. Honestly, I do not like this version, simply because it is fast, boring, and in my opinion a showing of technique. I simply don't like it.

[ctrainyu]

@thunder1909

Please, let me correct myself. I didn't intend to say that Richter played this entire piece "quite perfectly". I actually find it much to fast, as he sacrifices speed for musicality. He fails to bring out the melody in the polyrhythm 3:2 section, as well as miss a few notes.

All I meant was that those three simple chords, he played quite perfectly.

Daniel Barenboim was the first professional I heard playing this piece. That is why I do not find the overall performance great.

[EmoCat1313]

i can play this :) its so funn! :D

[EmoCat1313]

not quite THAT well, im only 14, lol...but ill perfect it someday :P

[jimjoyce25]

Sorry, this is too fast. Manic is one thing, insane is another. It is impossible to imagine this is what Beethoven was getting at. After all, he dedicated the piece to Haydn, not to Satan.

The version by Vedernikov (also on Youtube) makes music of this piece, and IMO is miles the best.

(And before you express your disagreement, consider that Richter reserved his highest praise for Vedernikov.)

[truecrypt]

Dear jimjoyce25,

The tempo is definitely shockingly fast! Whether it is too fast - matter of taste. Beethoven marked the tempo as PRESTISSIMO, i.e. extremely fast, the fastest possible tempo. Probably it is (was) the fastest possible tempo for Richter! ;) Now, does this super-fast tempo spoils a whole picture? I was there in 1976 and let me assure you - it was astounding, but not satanic.

[truecrypt]

P.S. Though Haydn's influence on young Beethoven is indisputable, the dedication itself is a gesture of respect, friendship and love - not an indication on how to play this sonata! ;)

[truthkillz666]

Beethoven himself was an avid virtuose. He probably played it farely similar to prove a point that he was the greatest pianist xD. However, you interpret the music you can't deny the talent of this performance and character...

[pianistasesiom]

i LOVE IT, ITS WONDERFUL OMG OMG I LOVE THIS SONATA, MI VIDA CAMBIO, RTCHET IS A GOD THE PIANO!!!!!!!!!!!

[pianopera]

The tempo seems so natural but it is very very difficult to keep it up this way, especially when playing both repeats!

[smudgepots]

I love the way these great Russian artists dressed and looked like bank managers but played like dangerous revolutionaries. Inspirational, revelatory - this is Beethoven, the angry young composer-virtuoso, incarnate!

[sagalat]

Breathtaking, Huge, Insane. There'll never be such another. Bravo, to you also, VereCripto

[PianoForteAndrew]

this was on youtube a while ago but disappeared. glad you uploaded it!

[truecrypt]

Let's hope this time it won't "disappear"!

[punkpoetry]

Love his youthful drive in the early sonatas

[GetMeThere1]

It's great to be able to see these performances!