Richter Plays Beethoven
Sviatoslav Richter was a musical genius, a giant, and an amazing musical performer.
Richter’s performance of Beethoven, was never exaggerated, getting straight to the deeper meaning of the music. The highlights from this collection of Beethoven piano sonatas are the last three sonatas Opp. 109-110-111, one the best of his many recordings of these last works by Beethoven.
The selections are:
Beethoven:
- Piano Sonata No. 30 in E major, Op. 109
- Piano Sonata No. 31 in A flat major, Op. 110
- Piano Sonata No. 32 in C minor, Op. 111
- Piano Concerto No. 3 in C minor, Op. 37
Kurt Sanderling, conducting
- Piano Sonata No. 17 in D minor, Op. 31 No. 2 ‘Tempest’
- Piano Sonata No. 18 in E flat major, Op. 31 No. 3 ‘The Hunt’
- Piano Sonata No. 27 in E minor, Op. 90
- Piano Sonata No. 28 in A major, Op. 101
- Piano Sonata No. 3 in C major, Op. 2 No. 3
- Piano Sonata No. 4 in E flat major, Op. 7
Performed by Sviatoslav Richter, piano
This release focuses on Richter’s mastery of Beethoven: strong and passionate, as you’d expect from a pianist who was always his own harshest critic, and capable of thundering heights of eloquence, but more often bringing out Beethoven the sensitive poet in, for example, the opening movement of the sonata Op.110, or the mysterious ‘Arietta’ which concludes the composer’s cycle of 32 sonatas.
A complementary recording of the Beethoven Third Piano Concerto is made with Kurt Sanderling.
Here is Sviatoslav Richter playing the Beethoven Sonata No. 20 G-major
And next, Richter plays the Beethoven – Sonata N.32 Op.111
Tags: Sviatoslav Richter, pianist, Beethoven, sonatas