Sviatoslav Richter plays Brahms Sonata No. 2, Op. 2 (1/5)

[luzsorial]

Splendide!

Merci Truecrypt.

Luz

[BassicStorm]

thx very much 4 uploading this :]

[4785689]

i have the 1959 recording, send me an email for the link!

[twilight8love]

im playing this piece now but i think i like julius katchen's interpretation is better..altho im usually a big fan of richter

[ComradeKomaron]

Truecrypt: When was this recorded? It is not 1987 Mantova or 1959 Moscow I have.

[truecrypt]

@ComradeKomaron

I don't remember exactly, but seems it's one of 1984 performances.

[libetta]

majestico!

[tennisballer56]

how difficult is this piece?

[AnnMarry19]

This sonata is really very difficult piano sonata to play.

[feelyourlovetonight]

if you can do it with your eyes closed and FEEL the sensations and feelings from within you, it's not that hard at all.

[ytfarmer90]

oh rly?

[beklopt]

When was this recorded?

Seems at certain passages than the playing is laboured. This is not the Mantova recital, 1986, am I right?

Anyway, I have something special with Richter. At times I have the feeling that he is a God. At times he seems so deliberated...

His BBC recording of Rach preludes is something incomparable. And his Schubert, too. And so his Schumann. And his Scriabin, etcetera...

[AnnMarry19]

op. 2 no 1 !

[truecrypt]

Dear AnnMarry19;

1st sonata - Op.1 in C major,

2nd sonata - Op.2 in F-sharp minor,

3rd sonata - Op.5 in F minor

[AnnMarry19]

I know, sorry my mistake :P

( I think about Beethoven sonata ) :P

[kusuna7]

Interesting to note that the F-sharp minor was actually written before the C major sonata.

[pisceas]

@kusuna7 nice tip :) thanks

[gerryrains]

While I do **slightly** prefer this recording of this sonata to that of Katchen, I'm certainly glad to have both. I can't think of anybody else who can approach either of them. I feel that Katchen plays this sonata too quickly, but it's still marvelous. In addition, Katchen's boxed set of the Beethoven piano concerti is the best of all of the complete sets that I own. We are simply comparing great to great.

[feiyah]

I like this version.I think the version of Katchen is too fast.....

[suzettegm]

Hi Truecrypt, long time no see/ hear. Such busy times. This is a very nice upload indeeed, thank you so much! Regards, Josette.

[truecrypt]

Nice to "see" you, Josette!

[pianopera]

Powerful performance with great sense of proportion...maybe Katchen is technically more brilliant, I like them both!

[gjeacocke]

technicaly more brilliant?? I suggest listening to some blurred passages by katchen cause of his appraent speed was to fast to appreciate or understand the darkness of this work

[pianopera]

Nothing sounds "blurred" with Katchen and he plays the octave passages more brilliantly. It's a question of personal taste and interpretation if you think that Richter's approach is more suitable for this work. As I said, I like both.

[gjeacocke]

He plays with no feeling, it's like rushing through as if he wants to get to the end. e.g. schubert wanderer fantasy. His accents are not prolific enough...failing to emphasize tension and movement.

[pianopera]

With no feeling? I completely disagree.

Katchen stresses the youthful "energico" in his interpretation.

He was a superb artist (and Richter thought so too btw, read his diaries!), especially in Brahms.

[gjeacocke]

Every performnce is different. 10-12 bar at the end of movement(going down the keyboard in triplets or whatever).Emphasing the notes correctly cause the sound to be different, K looses this here due to the speed) S R said also in his book that H was not cultured but H new how to speak English language. Just cos R is good at interpreting it does not qualify him to be correct in other areas beit music or otherwise .

[pianopera]

What "H" are you talking about, and does it really matter for this discussion?

To be honest I think I find Richter's opinion on Katchen a *little* more important and also a little more "correct" than yours...;)

[gjeacocke]

In Enigma richter said Horowitz was not cultured. You seems so obsessed that everything richter does is grand. Have you listendd to the many versions recorded by richter. Importnt is a bit dubious. For instance we would not be condemning our leaders if we thought they were more educated, my friend.

[pianopera]

I'm not the one that is obsessed, my friend...

[gjeacocke]

You think the artist opinion is more important than your own...Just cos one artist thinks another artist is good, does not mean you should. We all have our own character in music...

[pianopera]

Dear friend/pianist,

You don't know what I think, your judgement is as objective/subjective as mine, and I don't think Katchen's version is "bad" by any standard, just completely different from this one. I can advice you to listen to some more recordings of Katchen, maybe you will like and respect them a little more, maybe you will even learn from them...this discussion will bring us nowhere, so let's leave it here...

[gjeacocke]

Yes i know, rubinstein said that...All isaid was the speed of that particular passage was blurred due to the speed Katchen played, and you can't acknoledge it, when compared to Richter

[gjeacocke]

Do you know Bolet, great technician but lacks that special kick you hear in some pianist. they just play it straight. From the recordings i have heard of Katchen that what i think he sounds like. i'm sorry.

[gjeacocke]

Do you like Dr Jekle and Mr Hyde by R L Stevenson. He threw it on the fire cos he did not think it good. His wife took out. And the rest is history. Can you play like Richter? Then your mind can not be the same to understand why he thinks the way he does

[gjeacocke]

The version i heard of Katchen was bad. THAT specific performance; Not any other as i have only heard one. I am a pianist myself thus allows me some knowledge and understanding. I have sight read all the pieces i've played and that is alot of music. And I can tell by hearing what is good (honest) and what is not (unnatural).

[Sinfoniette]

Like appetites, one's preference in music is different. SO STOP IT! Its just over the line when a beginner pianist and Richter is compared, not Katchen and Richter. Both of you, its called 'opinions'! They are both spectacular players. There is no need to condemn the other because it sounds pretty horrible to somebody else.

[gjeacocke]

Do you like Dr Jekle and Mr Hyde by R L Stevenson. He threw it on the fire cos he did not think it good. His wife took out. And the rest is..

[gjeacocke]

I have read his diaries, my brother gave it to me for christmas a couple years ago.

[gjeacocke]

If notes or passages were not needed then he would of labelled it so. Instead of showing of your technical skills try and platy the notes to the sound clarity of other pasages. Horowitz is the only one of the few pianist whose clarity was crystal clear at unbelieable speeds: rack 3(1940)

[go9zu]

Amazing performance!

[chad410]

great upload of this rarely played work. thanx