Classic Archive Trailer: Sviatoslav Richter

"CLASSIC ARCHIVE" is a new series featuring masterly recorded music DVDs of legendary artists, thus offering -- at a sensational mid-price - a unique perspective onto the classical music heritage. Sviatoslav Richter (1915-1997), without exaggeration easily described as one of the greatest pianists of the 20th century, strictly avoided being filmed. Therefore the circumstances of the Barbican recital were far from ideal: Richter, notoriously temperamental and known on occasion to cancel concerts at a moment's notice, was apparently unaware until shortly before the concert that it was to be filmed. After considerable, evidently heated discussion, he agreed to the filming on the condition that no camera would be in his field of vision. This challenge was overcome, but more difficult for the film crew, used to expending thousands of watts of lighting power when televising such an event, was Richter's insistence on restricting the lighting to a single 40-watt bulb, directed on the music-sheet, not him. This eccentric lightening was unconventional even without filming, but at that time was his standard practice at concerts, as he wanted to focus maximum attention on the music and de-emphasize the importance of the performer. Thus, if the viewer feels short-changed by the predominantly black screen in the Barbican recital, he should remember that the small amount of Richter we are allowed to see is very much more than he would have liked us to see. This London recital in 1989 gives the viewer the chance to listen to Richter's wonderful rendering of Mozart and Chopin. The bonus material on this DVD adds a broadcast by the BBC in 1969 with Richter performing Chopin Études and the Rachmaninov Étude-Tableau.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• Sviatoslav
• Richter
• piano
• classical
• EuroArts

[MiguelKertsman]

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[kepler101]

he plays this like it is nothing

[ipublica]

I practice this etude since 20 years, together with op. 10/1, and it's never perfect. You have to see that he has gigantic hands, and this greatly facilitates the rendering of op. 10/1, op. 10/2, and even op. 25/1. We cannot simply disregard the phyisical condition. If we do, we are idealistis. When you teach piano to children, you will become quickly aware how much the rendering of piano music is conditioned by the size and built of the hand. Chopin knew that, Debussy as well.

[aewanko300]

The whole recital's on YT. The etudes are simply.......amazing. Especially the tempo of the C major etude.

[chad410]

im near the back.lol. It was at the Barbican i think. it was jam packed. I was impressed and never once noticed he had the music infact he didn t turn pages. I think. i was a wee student at music college and they prompted us into cheap tickets.

[mltube]

And I've got the DVD. :-)

[Darklord12356]

Holy god...

[chad410]

I was at this recital.