Richter plays Shostakovich Prelude & Fugue 4, e-moll Op. 87

Dmitri Shostakovich: Prelude and Fugue No. 4 in E minor, Op. 87
Live recording, 1956

Category:

Music

Tags:

• sviatoslav
• richter
• shostakovich
• prelude
• fugue
• piano
• classical

[pjioayncoe]

When did Shostakovich write this Prelude and Fugue?

[truecrypt]

From Wikipedia:

"The complete work was written between 10 October 1950 and 25 February 1951. Once finished, Shostakovich dedicated the work to (Tatiana) Nikolayeva, who undertook the public premiere in Leningrad on 23 December 1952."

[BrucknerMotet]

3:37 - Fugue begins here. (please "thumbs up" this comment so it will appear at the top and thus be a useful comment)

[curlysue27]

A masterful weaver of the musical story. He is beyond compare. His interpretation captivates you completely. It is the story itself that he tells as the end in itself. It's not about trying to put one's own stamp on such music but of revealing the soul of the music. This is why Richter is tops. A master story-teller.

[Mandru9]

Fantstic. What ravissante interpretation. I just listened to Keith Jarret, who of course is brilliant techniquely spoken, but who does not nearly capture the sheer magic of these preludes and fugues. Not the least because he plays many of the preludes much too fast, which irritates me no end. So, here with Richter you hear the REAL MASTER, invincible as ever.

[musoderelict]

Know this sounds crass, but his picture looks a bit like Woody Allen ...

[curlysue27]

The only think I can say now that the piece is meant to display tension. Upon reflection Shostakovich's interpretation is now my favourite..!

[claus93Sethsen]

@Maetel22 Well said sir

[Maetel22]

every composer stood on the shoulders of the giants before him, and hoped to one day stand among them. Every great composer stood against the darkness around him and, instead of begging the mercy of the light above, found the power of the light within. Through this he discovered that the darkness he once thought surrounded him, in fact, did not exist at all. He tore through the mist of illusion, and found the great beyond, within his own mind. A thousand suns shone through him, and he never died

[slsherwoodwells]

"Richters' hands have the strange effect of making tears" ( I love this comm

ent by Ruimanuk-so much who Sviatislov Richter was and "is"-Thankyou Ruim.!!!) (This is the fugue)

[CrateofStolenDirt]

I can barely hear this.

[amadeus9man]

Why argue about interpretations? I don't see why Keith Jarrett and Richter can't both be appreciated. I heard the Jarrett version first, and I think it is great, but I can't claim to know his other discs. Still, both have their wonderful moments - and this video is an 8:07 stretch of sublimity.

[DJPsionix]

Keith Jarrett's interpretation of this piece is really, really dry. Interesting, maybe even valuable, but not really meaningful to me at all.