From the LP collection you see above, issued in 1970 on the Angel label. Richter's performance is dated sometime in 1963. Revised from the original manuscript by Paul Badura-Skoda. "David Hertzberg"
Muy excellente!! Very nice touch -- you might imagine my surprise at this after only have heard him play Chopin etudes, Rachmaninoff and Scriabin. Mein Gott, his musicality is wonderful. I'll be listening to this more than once! Thank you for uploading!
...with respect to all...including listeners who think Chopin, Rachmaninoff and Scriabin showcase his exceptional musicality...my compliment is meant to be just that, a compliment...must go...it is getting quite exciting. THIS IS GREAT~!
First heard this recording 43 yrs ago. Instantly became an Richter admirer and later the Russian piano school all of which has never changed. Four months later found Neuhaus's "The Art of Piano Playing" in the state library. All by lucky chance. Changed my life for ever. Thanks.
This is not only the best performance of this challenging work; it features some of best playing I've ever heard on record. His left hand is like a sledge hammer, yet he's extraordinarily delicate in the quieter passages. It's some of the most dynamic playing ever. When he's on, he has no equal. Maybe Michelangeli in his late 20's, but he doesn't have the repertoire that Richter had. This is insane playing. If you play the piano, listening to this is a double-edge sword. It's a joy to listen to and realize the potential of the someone playing the instrument on such a high level or it can be extremely discouraging because you're green with envy. Take a glance at the sheet music of this work and you'll understand how impressive this is.
Among the several recorded performances of this astonishing music by our Schubert I think this is by far the best. Listening to this it is easy to see why Schubert despaired of playing this music himself saying, "The devil play this....I can't!"
Richter is playing this Wanderer Fantasy as if he wanted to free Schubert from his constraints. I hear even more the second time around. What a Pianist ! Amazing !
Have you heard his 1958 Budapest recording of Schubert's D. 958 sonata ? It may sound unimaginative of me to say this, but after hearing Richter's towering interpretation, I just cannot go back to anyone else's. IMHO, he alone captures the manic, psychotic aspects of the terrifying totentanz-finale.
i am not sure i have. although I like this performance tremendously, that does not mean that I cannot enjoy others. Richter did tend to play faster AND slower than other pianists, consciously or not, in order to produce "different" performances, I.M.H.O. This tendency is not always totally endearing to me or necessarily acceptable. On the other hand, apart from this, you cannot deny his enormous grasp of works and the seemingly infinite ability to bring them off technically. I remember hearing a recording of the slow movement of the Schubert B flat Sonata played really too slowly for comfort; I did not like that. I maintain there are limits and boundaries which should not be crossed.
Dear Cynic, Oddly, as soon as I clicked "reply"...of course, I had second thoughts. Sadly, my CDs are ALL in storage at the moment, until I move house, but Paul Badura-Skoda and Richard Goode are particularly moving in the C minor sonata D. 958. On CD, I think I have this recording by Richter of the Wanderer-Fantasie, and also Badura-Skoda's (Music & Arts label, ?, on a modern Steinway, IIRC) Another lovely Richter recording is of Schumann's Symphonic Studies, which is worth it for the posthumous variations alone !! Played with the most delicate poetry imaginable...
@@erikthenorviking8251 You know, that is just what bothered me about some of his performances. He could be excessive. I thought he played Beethoven's Appassionata as if it was Verdi's Requiem. That is not to deny that this particular performance is breathtaking.
Thanks for your compliment. I know my comment sounds funny, but it's definitely true. Any record could not fully transmit the greatness of his performance.
Update: unfortunately, as of May 26, 2019, three thumbs down are present. Who are these people and what could possibly be going through their minds? It's their problem.
