Sviatoslav Richter plays Chopin Scherzo No.4 in E major, Op. 54

[flylooper]

Thanks! I've never seen Richter play. The first thing I noticed is how physically big the man was. His hands were massive in size.

I listened to my recording of Rubenstein right after viewing this. Let's face it: Both were virtuosos at the piano and neither, IMHO, was "better" than the other. Each brought something a little different to the piece.

[catlest]

I thought Rubenstein's interpretation flows better. Richter has a wonderful technique but in contrast it seems somewhat chopped up.

[newFranzFerencLiszt]

only God knows how much I love the C# minor part.... is one of the most moving Chopin's music

[YunZinLee]

Look at 1:16!! is that really possible???

[712Stephen]

Odd because he has none when he normally had it.

[712Stephen]

He has no score with him. Hm, odd.

[afertyus1000]

@712Stephen it was only in his later years that he used a score due to memory loss when he was younger he memorised everything

[712Stephen]

@afertyus1000 A lot of people say that, but it isn't so set in stone. Other sources claim it was because he wanted to remain true to the score and that he recognised that no one could memorise every dynamic instruction.

[afertyus1000]

@712Stephen maybe? but then why do you say it's 'odd' in your first comment if you maybe know the reason,i heard it mentioned on his life story 'enigma'

[vcupiano]

I hate playing in these types of settings. Great performance, I find things I like in both his and Rubenstein's interpretations

[achilless]

Truecrypt, you are my hero :)

[mytchilla]

So beautiful..

[jamesd391]

I am playing this piece right now, and I am studying off of Richter. Out of all the pianists, I think he represents this piece best.

[uhartchristian]

this is definitely a very good version of this scherzo. Richter is so "decontracté " . He is so relaxed. There is no stress visible as often seen at important recital events. The result is an exceptional sonority .

[punkpoetry]

Re Igoshina's million views - so true... I only now started paying attention to what other people choose to watch: a recording of Debussy's Rêverie by one David Delucia, who makes it sound like a piece of chill out muzak, has 343,769 views, while Walter Gieseking's masterpiece uploaded by Erwin boasts some rather more humble 364 views (and most of them by me anyway)... Guess the populace won't be rushing to lend an attentive, imaginative ear to my Vedernikov and Meyer uploades anytime soon :)

[FomenkoPiano]

i,m happy to find this perfomance

(i was on this concert-and couldn,t

beleive that this video rec exists-thanks !)

I really think is one on of the best perfomance of 4 scherzo!!

[Pogouldiwitz]

Igoshina isn't that attractive. At best, she's "tak, nichego."

[punkpoetry]

@Pogouldiwitz

she's that now. 10 years ago, when her phony and cheesy Chopin DVD was shot, she was rather beautiful, IMO. Nothing on young Argerich though :) (and in more senses than one)

[Pogouldiwitz]

I find this to be the most touching and profound of the 4 Scherzi.

[freeqwerqwer]

Richter's piano touch is rather heavy and lacks elegance for Chopin.  Also, he plays like a loner, someone who is not an altogether happy being. I guess that is why the public prefer Rubenstein for Chopin, who plays with elegance and a light and positive spirit.

[truecrypt]

@freeqwerqwer

Public prefers Britney Spears to Maria Callas. Should we attribute it to Brittney's positive spirit too ;)

This video has about 3000 views. Igoshina's *generic* performance of Fantasie Impromptu has 1,000.000 plus.

You'll find even more "light touch, elegance and positive spirit" in Lang Lang's playing!

Be careful comparing and criticizing real Masters. It's quite possible you're not up to the task yet.

[punkpoetry]

@truecrypt

On the subject of Igoshina - my piano teacher once told me that Neuhaus, upon hearing a rather average yet very attractive young female pianist, made the following remark: "She's a carbon copy of (вылитая) Venus de Milo - what is now needed is to to chop off her arms!"...

[truecrypt]

@punkpoetry

The story is true! ;) I can even disclose the name of "Venus" - later well known Moscow Conservatory professor - Nina Emelianova. She was a beauty in her young years. (see my posting about about 3rd Chopin competition! )

On more serious note - good looking females definitely attract a lot of "populous" due to just *good looking*. Chopin himself liked young and pretty female-students! If there is nothing to listen to, at least one can enjoy good look! Do I sound sexist? ;)

[punkpoetry]

@truecrypt

Well, the protagonist of one gloriously dumb American comedy (it's called "This Is Spinal Tap", and you probably won't like it!), when faced with charges of sexism, replies "What's wrong with being sexy?" ;)

[CeaserXIX]

@ truecrypt

.... well as song as the men-beauty-appreciators do not forget to distinguish between eyes and ears, no problem heheh

[freeqwerqwer]

Real masters? Well, Richter, like many fellow Russians, are known for their deep artistry and superb techniques but, their playing shows they tend to have a somber view of life and they love to wallow in the mud of depression. That is why I refuse to listen to Russians play Mozart or Ravel as they don't understand the spirit.

[truecrypt]

Dear freeqwerqwer,

Looks like your own musical tastes and life views were shaped by MTV! ;)

The greatest art was created in the midst of depression. Of course you can boycott Mozart's Requiem conducted by Kondrashin or Ravel's Miroirs played by Richter, but you shoot yourself in the foot...

As I said before, cheerful Brittney Spears and always happy Lang Lang are always to your service! ;)

[croussant]

@truecrypt MTV? Free compared Richter to Rubinstein, not Lang Lang. Re art/depression, e.g., David Dubal says Mendelssohn is unfairly stigmatized as 'light' because 'he wasn't psychotic, he didn't commit suicide', mocking the cliche that art is less valid if not rooted in neurosis. I'm quite sure Mr. Dubal doesn't watch MTV. Preferences and musical values aside, is free's insight into Richter valid--does he indeed play like a loner? That's the interesting question.

[truecrypt]

@croussant

I don't exactly understand the point of your comment. I mentioned MTV in one of my replies as an example of power of mass media. Great art is not necessarily created in the midst of depression but... wouldn't you agree that "happiness" in art is somewhat less interesting than "tragedy"? As Tolstoy said - "Happy families are all alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way..."

[kasyapa]

truecrypt - absolutely not! as busoni said, mozart's "champagne" aria is as deep as any funeral march, because the emotions it is based on are just as deep and important. the deriding or trivialization of positive emotions is dangerous decadence!

[truecrypt]

@kasyapa

well.. at least I prefer Lacrimosa to "champagne" arias... ;)

Somehow my Russian psycho tells me that *tragic emotions* are richer and deeper than *happy ones*... at least in classical music. 

[Arfat]

@truecrypt Great art is not created in "mass media" for money

[berlinzerberus]

..the next nonsense could be:györgy cziffra has got no feeling for the toccata from schumann because he was gypsy,or... maria yudina cannot play tschaikowsky properly because she was a woman thus she could not nail the composer´s [gay] spirit,or... langlang isnt able to play the marche funebre by chopin because he uses to behave himself like a clown,but owned, the last point could be true ;))

[kundalini76]

@freeqwerqwer: I suppose there's no cure for fools.

[gerryrains]

Rubenstein was most famous for not practicing and having conductors refuse to conduct with him as soloist until he finally decided that was unbearable and started to practice again. Mentioning him in the same sentence as Richter is sheer blasphemy.

[punkpoetry]

@gerryrains

Rubenstein is far from being my favorite pianist, but trying to denigrate him by citing a piece of biographical gossip is simply too cheap.

[LeonidasBasileus]

@freeqwerqwer

if you can't see anything about this music that is beyond "elegance and a light and positive spirit", then I think you should consider not making a fool of yourself and posting such comments about truly great artists. chopin was not generally a positive and light spirited man, as documents can tell us.

[MrViolist]

and listen to Vladimir Ashkenazy.

[MySamik]

worty watching

[aisrmc]

Richter, what happened to your last note, eh? Should have practiced a few more hours... ;)

Kidding aside, this is beyond great. If Michelangelo were a pianist, this is what he would sound like.

[truecrypt]

You are correct only in one of your assumptions...

Typical Marcel.

[micheldvorsky]

Never knew this video existed. I'm glad it does because I've always liked the way Richter plays the E major Scherzo.

[andrevazpereira1980]

This is not only the great Richter in Moscow or a great performance of the scherzo, this is simply history beeing made in front of our yes!!!

[chad410]

nice ballade :p

[morinoroba]

In short,his performance is self sacrificing to composer.

I strongly think that way.

[vstasov]

A privilege to see such rare footage. Thank you.

[nevskixx]

A superb interpreter of the 4 scherzi!

[morinoroba]

He don't put ego before music.Great performance！

[besnotaplace]

You're funny!

If he didn't put his ego before the music, then what did he play it with?

What is it with this bad publicity around the ego?

[morinoroba]

Ｓｏｒｒｙ　ｔｈａｔ　ｍｙ　ｍｅａｎｉｎｇ　ｗａｓ　ｎｏｔ　ｃｌｅａｒ．Ｍｙ　Ｅｎｇｌｉｓｈ　ｓｋｉｌｌｓ　ａｒｅ　ｓｔｉｌｌ　ｎｏｔ　ｈｉｇｈｌｙ　ｄｅｖｅｌｏｐｅｄ．Ｉ　ｔｈｉｎｋ，ｈｅ　ｍｉｎｉｍｉｚｅ　ｔｈｅ　ｓａｌｉｅｎｃｙ　ｏｆ　ｏｎｅｓｅｌｆ．Ｔｈａｔｓ　ｇｒｅａｔ．

[besnotaplace]

Well, that's not much better. If he "minimizes the saliency of oneself", then he must be maximizing either the score or the other selves. To play strictly from the score is copying and pasting while to play with others' minds is directly copying. I don't think Richter is doing either.

[99hoolio]

The guy's doing his best to express himself in a second language. Stop being a dick.

[morinoroba]

Ｎｏ，　Ｔｈａｔｓ→Ｔｈａｔｓ

[morinoroba]

？Ｔｈａｔｓ→Ｔｈａｔ　ｉｓ　:-))

[Neishapour]

This is an outstanding rendition of this piece by the immortal Sviatoslav Richter. May his soul rest in peace as he touched so many around the world with his soulful playing of the piano.

[MagicDonDino]

Thanks for this!!

I'm waiting and finally Truecrypt's Richter is come back!! =D

[weikko79]

Wow! What a great find!

[samsonno]

Marvellous, the one and only!

[smudgepots]

Playing of utter and complete genius!

[pianopera]

Such intensely concentrated playing, such narrative qualities that transcend mere piano playing - eleven minutes seem very short this way...spellbinding!

[talaska]

He is a very expressive player, more animated than I imagined.

[nikolaimedtner]

great find indeed, thank you!

[pligana]

wow, great piece!

[GetMeThere1]

Great find, truecrypt! Thanks for sharing it!

There's no denying that being able to see his performance--especially from many angles--significantly adds to the effect. His playing becomes even MORE beautiful!

Also...it was interesting for me to be able to see his pedaling.

[driemaaldrommels]

just.....WOW!!

[BachScholar]

He sits very high, probably a full six inches higher than Horowitz. Great playing.

[johnalt16]

Thanks for the upload

[ClassicalRecords]

I've never seen this before... This is wonderful! Thank you so much! Richter's playing is superb as always.