The Russian Piano Tradition - SVIATOSLAV RICHTER

APR5669
Sonata in A minor D845
recorded in Moscow in March 1957

Sonata in D major D850
recorded in Moscow in August 1956

Impromptu in E flat D899/2
recorded in Moscow in 1950

Sviatoslav Richter needs no introduction - he is universally regarded as one of the very greatest pianists of the 20th century. The Soviet recordings he made in the 1950s, before he started performing in the west, are generally less well known though, and here we have two major works, from a composer who was particularly close to Richter's heart which he did not revisit in the recording studio in later years.

Schubert's Sonatas D845 and D850 are certainly amongst his greatest, they immediately predate the magnificent final three (D958-960) and are written on the same vast scale. The composer's piano sonatas were little known in the 1950s particularly in the USSR, and Richter was very much a torchbearer for this music. These are sublime performances particularly in the timeless slow movements, and it is surprising how rarely these particular recordings have been reissued in the CD era. Thankfully by the later 1950's the Melodiya recorded sound was much improved and not many apologies need be made on this account.

To complete this programme we have added one of the earliest Richter recordings, that of the popular Impromptu D899/4, which dates from 1950.

APR5669 Available as a Digital Download or to Stream only