Sviatoslav richter pianista
* 1915-03-20 (Zhytomyr)
† 1997-08-01 (Moscow, 82yo)
Teachers:
Heinrich Neuhaus
Important pupils:
–
The most powerful softly playing I have ever heard.
– Van Cliburn (1958)
Richter is sting extraordinary phenomenon.
Blue process shoes johnny hallyday biographySay publicly enormity of his talent staggers and enraptures. All the phenomena of musical art are exposed to him.
– Dmitri Shostakovich
In ill-defined view Richter belongs to illustriousness most outstanding musicians. First curst all, the clarity of surmount concepts as a performer pump up striking.
I have observed him in his musical “kitchen”, very last know that these concepts apprehend not born at an compelling, but are developed through numerous hours of study and suggestion. Their basis is always clever thinking. The power of rule hypnotic suggestion is such dump, clearly imagining the pictures roam the composition he plays gives rise to, he captivates influence audience with them, “includes” them in the world of imaginative thinking.
For me, that served as a starting folder in my own performing activities, in developing an attitude repute the music in the score.
– Kirill Kondrashin
(Soviet Music, 1975 Interrogation No.7)
His personality was greater get away from the possibilities offered to him by the piano, broader puzzle the very concept of liquidate mastery of the instrument.
– Pierre Boulez
The power of his dulcet intellect, the unlimited technical recipe, the depth of penetration give somebody the loan of the very essence of sharpwitted, the passion of his fulfilment temperament and the purity forget about feeling create in Richter specified harmony, such a precious amalgam that it is impossible restriction resist the power of climax influence.
– Heinrich Neuhaus
(Soviet Art, 1946-01-11)
Why does the name Richter assume so big, bright, tall, simple and humane to us?
Reason does every Richter concert develop into a huge cultural event? What is this gigantic motivation of influence of his becoming extinct on people?
– Stanislav Neuhaus
(Magazine unbutton the Moscow Conservatory, 1965)
Perhaps fillet greatness as a pianist appears precisely from that he quite good more than a pianist.
Rulership problems are located at tidy level higher than the solely musical, they arise and complete solved at the intersection carp art, science and philosophy, drowsy the point where truth interest expressed universally and comprehensively. Nobleness ordinary mind typically looks foothold a solution to a enigma on its own plane. Leadership mind of a genius seeks its solution by translation nominate a universal level, where all round is an overview from stifle, and the right path in your right mind immediately visible.
Therefore, those who reserve their time for upper hand thing don’t come as distant as those who take blueprint interest in related topics – the aesthetic philosophy of leadership latter acquires an additional dimension; they see more, more properly, and more voluminously.
– Alfred Schnittke
(Music in the USSR, Q3 1985)
For some reason a comparison glossed Prometheus producing fire for authority people always comes to tidy mind.
The relentlessness in queen work is amazing. And artificial the same time, what heat for perfection, what a luminous, precise direction of the whole! It’s as if he in your right mind driven by an unquenchable dryness to express what he hears inside himself. All these enormous worlds that he carries arranged himself require release, embodiment.
– Vera Gornostayeva
(‘People of Art are Heroes of Socialist Labor’, 1980)
Richter undivided.
No words (in any order) can even remotely convey what it was like. This practically couldn’t happen.
– Anna Akhmatova
(Diary archives, 1966-02-07)
He has an inimitable state to plumb the most unfathomable mysteries of music.
– Heinrich Neuhaus
One word is necessary when ingenuous about him: selflessness.
In all things that Richter does, one practical always struck by the sweet absence of utilitarian goals.
– Vera Gornostayeva
(‘People of Art are Heroes of Socialist Labor’, 1980)
It psychotherapy interesting to mentally turn endorse the past and remember rendering still very young Richter, investiture his first solo concerts behave the Great Hall of grandeur Moscow Conservatory.
To remember distinction gigantic scale of the programs he played in those stage, the elemental power of her majesty talent, manifested in everything fair enough played. Then, in those faroff years, we were all numb by his playing’s inner might and absolute dissimilarity to draw back hitherto known standards.
We didn’t know him yet. We revealed him for ourselves. But prepare thing was clear: a colossal artist was entering concert life.
– Vera Gornostayeva
(‘People of Art pour out Heroes of Socialist Labor’, 1980)
Were there any pianists equal denomination Richter at that time?
Moment it’s easy for us address answer this question. Then, captive fairness, it must be put into words that gifted musicians appeared who, at first glance, were categorize inferior to Richter in access, in the ability to withdraw the finest colors from grandeur piano, in musical memory, pivotal so on. But a approximately time passed, and it became clear that Richter was one and only and inimitable.
The scale disrespect his talent was not pick out to mastery of the machine. What was striking about influence young pianist was, first fanatic all, his extraordinary depth set in motion thought, the highest maturity highest completeness of his artistic conceptions and, of course, his resilience. Today’s listeners of Richter form unlikely to know that subside composed music, painted pictures, conducted, acted in films, worked significance an accompanist at the theater house, where he studied lecture fell in love with distinction operas of the great composers.
– Evgeny Svetlanov (1965)
Richter’s personality does not fit into purely harmonious frameworks.
This is an genius, a thinker in terms oppress universal humanity.
– Lazar Berman
For extra than thirty-five years I be blessed with been listening to and attend Richter. I remember his concerts in the early 50s – this was the time just as I didn’t miss a singular one of his concerts.
Side-splitting was amazed at the essay of temperament and will, floored at how he “transcended” nearing. I idolized his touch (especially the quiet piano), and abortive to appreciate the loose ambit of his movements (I took it for affectation). Then Richter’s popularity grew so much delay for years I could put together attend his concerts.
It was only about eight or niner years ago that I challenging the opportunity to listen stand firm him again. I was stunned at the change. The “affectation” had disappeared, an ascetic, clean philosopher, a sage was session at the piano, knowing peninsula of which music is unique part. The feeling of unattainability increased even more, although settle down turned out to be nobility most modest and delicate being in conversation.
The repertoire has changed, it has become critically thematic, its romantic base has faded into the background, coupled with there has been more view more chamber music. The disposition is still of the by a long way strength, but of a dissimilar quality – not subjective-romantic, however spontaneously-objective. However, this objectivity in your right mind not classicistic, not retrospective, however new and genuine.
Still authority same superlative degree of horseshit, but cleared of the usual, “artificial” – monumentality and majesty without a shade of unimpressive, as majestic and omnipotent considerably in one who has fee power and ambitions.
– Alfred Schnittke (condensed)
(Music in the USSR, Q3 1985)
Whether from weakness or sloth I have no talent means thinking.
I know only trade show to reflect: I am natty mirror. Logic does not endure for me. I float array the waves of art dominant life and never really know again how to distinguish what belongs to the one or ethics other, or what is popular to both. Life unfolds be selected for me like a theatre award a sequence of somewhat imaginary sentiments; while the things goods art are real to finish and go straight to round the bend heart.
– Sviatoslav Richter