Dave's Faves No. 347 (Richter's 1958 Sofia Recital)

Sviatoslav Richter (piano): The Sofia Recital (Works by Mussorgsky, Schubert, Chopin, Liszt and Rachmaninov)

[JG_]

A "Greatest Live Recordings" series would be interesting. Even though on the whole I still prefer studio recordings, really great live recordings always give me goosebumps.

[saraband]

Thanks. I mentioned this recording in my comment on the Gould vs Richter fame video recently. Thank you for bringing this up again.

[shimoncrown]

Thanks for this recommendation. I really enjoyed listening to this.

[joewebb]

It is definitely up there for me as the second greatest performance of Pictures, the number one being Earl Wild's. This is a fantastic recital and really does show Richter in all of his lights. A great fave, Dave!

[michelangelomulieri]

It was the recording which put me in touch with the Richter "universe"

[jameslee]

The BBC managed to record Richter performing the pictures in 1968 (in London, I think). It's not quite as intense as the Sofia version, but the sound is better and there are far fewer coughs. The recording is hard to find on CD but usually available on YouTube. Well worth a listen before returning to do aural battle with the 1958 recital.

[francoisjoubert]

You look much less harassed than in your CD hell video. So glad to see that, and good luck with the unpacking!

[fa-la-mi-mi-re]

The Sofia recital is my favourite of ALL Richter's recitals-recordings.Richter himself allowed its release amid minor wrong notes and minor technical issues.

[goodmanmusica]

Great recital. Liszt etude n.5 is incredible

[OuterGalaxyLounge]

In Japan ... "where people would rather kill themselves than utter a sound." That line had me howling.

[dmntuba]

Do your think the wrong note at beginning of Pictures had anything to do with the positive outcome ?He may have gotten so pissed at himself that he took the music balls to the wall.🤔

[davidross]

The disc was included in the first Richter volume of the Great Pianists of the 20th century - an extremely successful, for the most part (in my opinion - be interested to hear what you thought of it) collection of some stunning performances (Kapell, some Michelangeli - that Ravel concerto!) etc.

[saraband]

Richter was recorded playing Mussorgsky Pictures Exhibition in other occassions, sometimes with better sound. Do they compare to this Sofia one? Is this Sofia one singularily better than everything else?

[judsonmusick]

Dave, I bought this CD of Richter's Sofia recital. The performance of ""Pictures at an Exhibition" was wonderful, but the recorded sound was dreadful. Which recording of the piano version of "Pictures" in decent stereo sound do you recommend?

[marktanney]

I listened today. Very impressive. I get the sense that he wanted to show particular respect to the people of Sofia and brought his very best A game. Of course that is complete speculation. But that is the thought I had while listening to it.

[ewaldsteyn]

I know this review is not just about the Mussorgsky, but the magnificent Sofia recital as a whole. But just on the Mussorgsky, for me his 1956 Prague recital's Mussorgsky is about just as fine as the 1958 Sofia's, but recorded in much better sound.

[dennischiapello]

This sounds intriguing, indeed. I once had a live recording with mediocre sound of Richter performing Hindemith's Ludus Tonalis. He was NOT in good form. I had the distinct impression--in fact I am convinced--he was sight-reading much of it! Does this sound at all likely to you?

[smileydts]

I love Richter but my goodness, it’s like he brought an outbreak of tuberculosis to every town he performed in.

[parfreysounds]

The best part of that Pictures performance is the transition from the Baba Yaga to the Great Gate. Probably the most intense, dramatic, virtuosic moment in any live piano recital. Richter was a “punk-rock” pianist. Moody, defiant, tortured…and most of his contemporaries knew he was a genius that exceeded their own abilities but Richter often couldn’t get out of his own way. He had an amazing range but oddly omitted some standard pieces to his repertoire. No Waldstein. No Emperor Concerto. No Brahms 1 (I think he would have killed in that one). No Chopin Sonatas. And he played only selections of important repertoire, hardly ever complete.

With that in mind, I had a video idea. Are there pieces you wish certain artists would have played/conducted?

For example I think a Reiner/Chicago Living Stereo era Rachmaninov Symphonic Dances would have been awesome. And Richter doing Brahms 1 or Prokofiev 3 regrettably doesn’t exist.

[steveschwartz]

Your room looks like several of mine. Will it really take a year to clear it up? I'd hate to clean it all up and then drop dead one day later.

I had the Columbia LP of Pictures. To quote you, "grotty" sound, and for years I looked for performances in better audio. But better sonics don't necessarily mean better accounts, and Richter remains my go-to performance. Nice to know it's on CD. To the Internet!