Sviatoslav Richter plays Beethoven "Hammerklavier" (4/6)

[JacquelineSarratt]

richterrr is my f'n homeboy man he rip those keys like beef borscht on a cold russian night.

[dialecticon]

floats with mysterious elegance between vehemence and understatement....

[docmalthus]

To call Richter a Master seems almost inadequate. He's that great.

[markomelesmiha]

From 3:17 to 3:29, IMHO, the most beautiful spot in entire Beethoven's music. Unfortunately, Richter passes over without paying attention. There are so many details: pedal must be generous to create that heavenly...cosmic...glowing atmosphere, so tender, so crying but optimistic at the same time...there is no words for all these feelings. Sorry, but nothing at all in Richter's interpretation (of that spot, of course). Ashkenazy is the closest

[operastud82]

@markomelesmiha Beethoven did not include any pedal markings during the passage that you cite. Between the pedal release in the middle of measure 147 and the direction of "tutte le corde" in measure 153, there are no pedal markings. If you have an edition that makes pedal references, then they are merely editorial and not Beethoven's.

[markomelesmiha]

@operastud82 It's up to inerpreter to use the pedal well or badly...If there is no pedal markings during the passage you cite it doesn't mean that one shouldn't use the pedal at all. Anyway, this is not the point. I just wanted to say that the miracle hasn't been produced. Maybe because Richter has such a huge répertoire and just hasn't got the time to pay attention of all those details.

[hansmeyer111]

@markomelesmiha you forgot to say: "In my opinion"

[markomelesmiha]

@hansmeyer111 I said From 3:17 to 3:29, IMHO...however...is that enough to you ; )

[corialic]

Try listening to Kempff in the 1951 recording (DGG)

[kelvinchoi283364]

@corialic

Kempff's interpretation is very good too but Richter did surpassed Kempff imo

[caijpp]

Hmm...where did clipwip go? He was such a nice guy. He needs to come back and settle the score because it looks to me it's a draw so far.

I do prefer Gieseking's Adagio.

[francescaemc2]

Che meraviglia!!! Richter rulz.

[hansmeyer111]

So many layers

So many worlds

This is poetry.

This music should be the testament for the humanity.

Words are useless.

[kajohada]

a m e n!  ;))

[kajohada]

arthur rubinstein told one day that tears came to his eyes,listening to a slow mouvement of richter´s beethoven interpretation.he had right saying this,i heard richter live,he played 3 sonatas of the master and i was really affected especially by the slow mouvements:)

[francescaemc2]

I also had the good fortune to hear Richter live. Will not disclose to what lengths I went.

But it was a highlight of my life. That an friends in Milan dragging me to hear The Beatles when I was a kid. Will never forget those two performances. Richter was alone, too.

[clipwip]

has the gauntlet been laid down or something? Richter vs. Gieseking? That's a tough decision! I'm only familiar with Gieseking's playing of Debussy's complete works which are the best I'm aware of. But Richter, to my knowledge, does not play anyone badly. So.. I'll have to record this Adagio myself and settle the score!!