Sviatoslav Richter - Schumann: Fantasy, Piano Quintet (Sviatoslav Richter Archives, Vol. 7) (2001)

When he is feeling inspired, Richter equaled Horowitz as a charismatic Schumann player, and he surpassed him in communicating the music without Horowitz's mannered quirks. doReMi has added invaluable additions to the Richter discography, and in this totally engrossing collection, they've drawn from specific sources that should be acknowledged, since those of us who avidly seek out live Richter recordings will already have versions of at least the Noveletten and the Fantasy in C. Comments follow each item.

Piano Quintet in E flat major, Op. 44
Live performance, Moscow, December 31, 1985, First release.
with the Borodin String Quartet
Comment: A superb reading in every way, full of passion and intensity but poised as well. This reading competes with another live recording, in much better stereo sound, from Nantes, France, June 1994 (Teldec); both are with Richter's longtime musical partners, the Borodin Quartet. The timings are very close between the two readings, the biggest difference being no more than 20 seconds, in the first movement. Here the piano is far forward, and the sound is gritty and rough, if full-bodied. I can't quite hear if it's in stereo because the sound stage is narrow and the piano so dominant. Still, a lovely ting once you adjust to the imperfect sonics.

Fantasie in C major, Op. 17
Live performance, Budapest, June 12, 1980, First release.
Comment: This can stand with Richter's best readings of a signature work. Of the two studio recordings, the EMI is overly aggressive and harshly recorded, the Philips shows a decline in energy and involvement. Here we get a beautifully balanced, personal, imaginative performance that displays sweeping authority. I would call it a must-listen for Richter devotees, comparable to his mono version from Prague, 1959. The piano is about average for these live recordings, and the stereo sound is listenable, if somewhat too close and overbearing. The ear detects some decay in tape quality, especially at the beginning, but this is easy to adjust to.

Novelletten, Op. 21 Nos. 1 & 2
Live performance, Dubrovnik, August 15, 1967
Comment: Very exciting readings, on a good piano, in clear mono sound. there are many examples of Richter playing a selected number of the "novelettes," and all tend to be gripping and dramatic, as these two are.

Song: Mit Myrten und Rosen, Op. 24, No. 9
(with Nina Dorliac, soprano)
Live performance, Bucharest, 1948, First time on CD

Schumann, Clara:
Song: Er ist gekommen in Sturm und Regen, Op. 12 No. 2 (Text: Friedrich Rückert)
(with Nina Dorliac, soprano)
Moscow, 1950, First time on CD.
Comment: I can find nothing about Dorliac (or Dorliak), but these two songs are done in Russian, and as you'd expect form someone chosen to partner with Richter, she is quite good. The mono sound is fairly good and nicely cleaned up so far as surface gritch and hiss is concerned. For those who are intrigued, there is a complete Dichterliebe with the same two artists, also in Russian.