Sviatoslav Richter plays Debussy "Suite Bergamasque" (1/2)

[9Simmo]

Lol the 2nd picture is CLASSIC! Apparently he came up with Blue Steel long before Derek Zoolander did. I love Richter even more now!

[ShipperS7]

The measure of a performer is not whether they hit all the right notes but whether, when technical mistakes are _inevitably_ made, the integrity of their interpretative structure withstands the blow. Practically everything Richter does is encased in a titanium superstructure, and in this case especially I can't see even a dent. The depth of this interpretation cannot be fathomed. You'd have to be illiterate to think that the mistakes in this performance in any way matter.

[barendschipper]

@ShipperS7 I can't agree more: haha, the complainers and their 'mistakes of life'.

Open yourself for life and enjoy... one does not have so many years here on earth,

Thanks to people like Richter our time here is really better......

Thank you truecrypt for uploding, and Shipper -name of our family in Dutch too- for posting

[barendschipper]

@ShipperS7 I can't agree more: haha, the complainers and their 'mistakes of life'.

Open yourself for life and enjoy... one does not have so many years here on earth,

Thanks to people like Richter our time here is really better......

Thank you truecrypt for uploding, and Shipper -name of our family in Dutch too- for posting

[jonnyrs1]

Shame about the bung note but this is the best tempo of any on here. Why do so many versions take it at break neck speed. Its a glorious piece to be savoured.

[awesomekapownoises23]

i love richters performance of this...

[classicalmusicagent]

I profoundly prefer Giorgi Latsabidze's Interpretation for Debussy)))

[experimentalis]

mille merci!

[telmopaz]

Somebody help the man to stand up!!

[DeineLieblingsvideos]

i prefer this more slowly version the other ones on yt,

i play it in a tempo like this..

[takakococo]

Love this version on Prelude! Personally, I like this tempo more than faster ones. Make better expression possible, I think.

[MarcelLazar]

you r shure Richter play this??? cause i heard a mistake ))

and the finger are not thery fast and corect in prelude!!!

[truecrypt]

@MarcelLazar

The only sure things are death, taxes... and the desire to find "mistakes" in great performance. Probably the later makes certain people "feel good" about themselves.

[philipvanlidth]

@truecrypt Amen! I remember a teacher of mine at Curtis telling me that she went to any performance with her critical ear turned off in order to enjoy the performance. It only went on when she could no longer ignore the rather glaring mistakes, but small errors she took in stride as something that happens to any performer in live performances. I myself have always felt that I will faint dead away on the day I get through a performance without any errors...

[truecrypt]

@philipvanlidth

You made a great point! Sometimes it's really difficult to "turn one's critical ear off".

Professionals used to over-analyze the stuff all the time... Non-professionals try to be even more professional than professionals themselves! ;)

[csmatteson]

@philipvanlidth Exactly right. I go to concerts and recitals to hear the music and am never listening for the slips and errors. They only become an issue for me when the performer pushes them in my face.

[JimmyPage97]

@truecrypt Any how did you come to certainty with these certainties?

[truecrypt]

@JimmyPage97

Death and taxes are indisputable.

The rest is my experience here on YT.

[JimmyPage97]

@truecrypt i'm disputing it.

[truecrypt]

@JimmyPage97

Well... let's do an experiment.

1. Try not to die.

2. Try not to pay taxes.

3. Try to post your own performance on YT.

Let me assure you that:

1. Unfortunately you will die... (sorry for bringing bad news!)

2. IRS will get you no matter what...

3. Your posting will attract some pretty nasty (for you) comments.

Please dispute after you comply with those requirements! ;)

[JimmyPage97]

@truecrypt Here is what I have already done in my life concerning your "requirements" :

1. I never actually try to die. Every day may not be an effort to "not die" but certainly is nothing less.

2. i pay the taxes I have to, but just because I pay taxes DOES NOT mean that they are a required part of life

3. I never posted a performance on "YT" but if I did I would EXPECT comments that include "nasty."

[truecrypt]

@JimmyPage97

Unfortunately just because you don't want to die or pay taxes... it doesn't mean you can avoid them... they are *required* part of life.

Don't take *nastiness / YT comments" literally - I meant dark side of human nature - we all have to deal with it regardless of our wishes.

These are *certainties" - you can only try to avoid them but sooner or later everybody will face them.

Q.E.D.

[JimmyPage97]

@truecrypt None the Less, the "certainty" I am most concerned with is, "the desire to find "mistakes" in great performance"

[truecrypt]

@JimmyPage97

Yes, there are always this kind of "musicologists" out there. They find sadistic pleasure in demeaning other people achievements by any possible means. I accept it as certainty.

[JimmyPage97]

@truecrypt This is simply a critic...the critic offers nothing more then pure opinion. The "power" or "strength" of the words remain inside the pedigree of the critic.

[Brideshead09]

Shut up, you cretin.

[darknocturne1]

@MarcelLazar I'm fairly sure that was an ornament.

[darknocturne1]

@MarcelLazar I'm fairly sure that was an ornament, and this piece isn't meant to be very fast anyway.

[ThereseAline]

Wow, this is outstanding.

[jgnoh]

la verdad me parece muy extraña la interpretación para ser Richter, esta llena de errores y notas falsas. llegando al final del menuet suena como si quisiera acabar lo antes posible.

tal ves no se sentía bien ese día

[musicolorhythm]

This is so much! Thanks, thanks, thanks.

[WAYSMEANS]

IMHO this suite of four magnificent pieces has never gotten its just due. Sure, sure everybody has heard Claire de Lune to the point of nausea, but the prelude, menuet and passe pied are outstanding in their own right. And Claire de Lune itself is a magnificent example of impressionism that like the Adagietto to Mahler's Fifth somehow gets played in isolation and we, the listening public, stand for it. This four-part opus stands its ground against Mozart, Brahms and even Beethoven.

[buddydog1956]

@WAYSMEANS Very Well Said! I Agree! Good Post

[mziel53]

What does he play 3:38? Isn't this staccato passage supposed to be played two octaves lower?

In spite of that fact, fabolous performance. It is full of impressionism!

[IDTFG]

You're absolutely right! Had to check though.. I'm sure I've heard other people make the same mistake. Never performed this one but I'm sure I haven't noticed the register change when I've been reading through it. He probably learnt and memorised it in a couple of hours anyway... Nothing detracts from his playing though. I've got a Mephisto Waltz where he hits about 8 wrong octaves in a row and you just don't care.

[nwshane]

He is so great... i can't even believe it. I think I'm actually glad that he makes a mistake at 4:00, cuz it's a reminder that he's human like the rest of us.

[yamyamyams]

This is fantastic. Thanks so much for posting it.

[brozors]

wow, i never thought so much about this piece until this performance. this recording gives you the image of waking up to a beautiful day.

[Toweley22992]

Truly amazing. Thanks for the post.

[vocalpianist]

thank you friend! this is wonderful!