Sviatoslav Richter - Rachmaninov - Piano Concerto No.1 / Bach - Piano Concerto BWV 1052 (2005)

Tracklist:

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Piano Concerto in D Minor BWV 1052
[1] I Allegro [08' 30"]
[2] II Adagio [09' 36"]
[3] III Allegro [08' 26"]

Sergej Rachmaninov (1875-1943)
Piano Concerto No. 1 in F sharp Minor Op. 1
[4] I Vivace [12' 30"]
[5] II Andante [06' 20"]
[6] III Allegro Vivace [07' 46"]

Performers:
Sviatoslav Richter , piano
USSR RTV Symphony Orchestra
Kurt Sanderling

The appeal of this release hinges more on its sound quality than on the quality of its well-known and excellent performances. Unfortunately, it doesn't sound very good. One can more or less hear Richter -- details of articulation occasionally get lost, inner voices are sometimes obscured, and bigger sonorities are often opaque -- but he sounds like he's miles away. One can hear Sanderling and the USSR Radio & Television Symphony Orchestra only faintly when they're quiet, somewhat better when they're louder, and all too well when they're really loud. There have been better releases of these recordings in the past -- many listeners prefer the 1995 BMG-Melodiya issues -- and there will likely be better releases in the future. This one's not worth it except for Richter specialists who have to have every release of every performance Richter ever recorded.