For the 100th anniversary of Sviatoslav Richter, Firma Melodiya presents its arguably biggest project in its semicentennial history.The name of Sviatoslav Richter is inscribed in gold in the history of music. He was not just “more than a pianist,” he was even more than a musician. An owner of composing, conducting, artistic, directing and acting gifts, a connoisseur of literature, arts and philosophy, with a will of iron he made all his gifts serve the art of pianism. An “artist of planetary scale,” as of the critics put it, Richter was like that in everything – in his unbounded repertoire that he never stopped replenishing until his last years, in his priestly frenzy of hours-long rehearsals, in the geography and number of performances, – over 3.500 concerts in 770 places of the world for 55 years of his musical career! (“He was somewhat fathomless, Richter,” said one of hisfamous colleagues). However, after he conquered the world (almost literally), he remained indifferent to ovation and eulogies of the press, painfully experienced each of the “defects” he noticed in his performance, and at the end of his way confessed before the journalist Bruno Monsaingeon: “I don’t like myself.” Of course we inherited numerous recordings from Sviatoslav Richter, live and studio ones (although he preferred the former to the latter). Hundreds of records and CDs have been released on domestic and foreign labels (the first of them, gramophone ones, appeared in the 1940’s while some others became available as late as in this century). However, even the existing body of recordings captures neither his complete repertoire nor the entire essence of Richter’s art – the same pieces could sound differently over the years, or even over a day!

CD 1 December 8, 1949

Franz Schubert Sonata No. 21, Franz Schubert–Franz Liszt Erlkönig, Modest Mussorgsky Pictures at an Exhibition

CD 2 Home rehearsal / Concert in Buchareston March 24, 1958

Songs by Johann Sebastian Bach, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Claude Debussy, Ernest Chausson, Maurice Ravel, Franz Liszt, Robert Schumann, Jean-Baptiste Weckerlin, Manuel de Falla

Nina Dorliak, soprano Sviatoslav Richter, piano

CD 3 September 24, 1960

Joseph Haydn Piano Sonata in C major, Frédéric Chopin Ballade No. 3, Scherzo No. 4, Robert Schumann, 3 Novelletten from Op. 21

CD 4 September 24, 1960

Claude Debussy Pieces, Studio recording, 1956 César

Franck Piano Quintet in F minor, Sviatoslav Richter, piano / The Bolshoi Theatre Quartet

CD 5 May 28, 1967 Johannes Brahms-Piano Concerto No. 2

May 8, 1962 Ludwig van Beethoven-Rondo for Piano and Orchestra (Sviatoslav Richter, piano Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, conductor – Kirill Kondrashin)

CD 6 May 8, 1962 Ludwig van Beethoven Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 3 (Sviatoslav Richter, piano, Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, conductor – Kirill Kondrashin

CD 7 October 10, 1965 Ludwig van Beethoven Piano Sonatas Nos. 17, 18, 27, 28

CD 8 December 30, 1964 Sergey Prokofiev - Piano Sonata No. 2, Alexander Scriabin-Piano Sonata No. 7, Maurice Ravel-Valses nobles et sentimentales

CD 9 October 10, 1965 Ludwig van Beethoven-Piano Sonata No. 31

December 30, 1964 Maurice Ravel-Pieces, Sergey Rachmaninoff-Étude-tableau, Op. 39 No. 3, Johannes Brahms-Rhapsody in G minor

CD 10 May 18, 1976 Paul Hindemith-Violin Sonata in C major (Oleg Kagan, violin /Sviatoslav Richter, piano), Alban Berg-Chamber Concerto for Piano and Violin with 13 Wind Instruments (Oleg Kagan, violin /Sviatoslav Richter, piano Chamber Ensemble of Moscow Conservatory, conductor – YuriNikolaevsky

CD 11 May 2, 1966 Sergey Prokofiev-Piano Sonatas Nos. 2, 4, 6

CD 12 October 27, 1975 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart-Violin Sonata in A major, Ludwig van Beethoven-Violin Sonatas Nos. 2, 4, 5 (Oleg Kagan, violin /Sviatoslav Richter, piano)

CD 13 June 1, 1983 Pyotr Tchaikovsky-Pieces, Sergey Rachmaninoff-Three Études-tableaux from Op. 33, Five Études-tableaux from Op. 39

CD 14 June 2, 1983 Pyotr Tchaikovsky-PiecesSergey RachmaninoffThree Études-tableaux from Op. 33Five Études-tableaux from Op. 39

CD 15 October 18, 1978 Franz Schubert-Piano Sonatas Nos. 6, 11, 13

CD 16 May 2, 1978 Franz Schubert-Piano Sonatas Nos. 18 & 6

CD 17 May 2, 1978 Franz Schubert-Pieces, October 18, 1978 Franz Schubert-Pieces, May 3, 1978 Franz Schubert- Pieces

CD 18 March 30, 1972 Ludwig van Beethoven-Triple Concerto in C major (David Oistrakh, violin / Mstislav Rostropovich, cello /Sviatoslav Richter, piano, Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, conductor – Kirill Kondrashin), May 21, 1961 Antonín Dvorák-Piano Concerto in G minor (Sviatoslav Richter, piano Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, conductor – Kirill Kondrashin)

CD 19 September 18, 1983 César Franck-Piano Trio in F-sharp minor, Maurice Ravel-Piano Trio in A minor (Oleg Kagan, violin / Natalia Gutman, cello / Sviatoslav Richter, piano)

CD 20 October 10, 1976 Ludwig van Beethoven-Piano Sonata No. 1, Robert Schumann-Faschingsschwank aus Wien, Frédéric Chopin- Pieces

CD 21 October 10, 1976 Frédéric Chopin-Pieces, Claude Debussy-Pieces, Sergey Rachmaninoff-Prelude, Op. 32 No. 12, September 18, 1983 Claude Debussy-Pieces

?D 22 October 16, 1976 Ludwig van Beethoven-Piano Sonatas Nos. 1, 7, 9, 12

CD 23 May 12, 1967 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart-Piano Concerto No. 22, Sergey Prokofiev-Piano Concerto No. 5 (Sviatoslav Richter, piano / Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, conductor – Kirill Kondrashin)

CD 24 September 12, 1967 Benjamin Britten-Piano Concerto in D major (Sviatoslav Richter, piano USSR State Academic Symphony Orchestra, conductor – Evgeny Svetlanov), April 3, 1972 Alexander Scriabin-Prometheus (Sviatoslav Richter, piano USSR State Academic Symphony Orchestra, conductor – Evgeny Svetlanov, Grand Academic Choir of All-Union National Radio Service and Central Television Networks, choirmaster –Ludmila Ermakova)

CD 25 May 26, 1967 Joseph Haydn-Piano Sonata in E major, Frédéric Chopin-Ballade No. 1, Nocturnes, Claude Debussy-Préludes (Book 2)

CD 2 6March 29, 1972 Béla Bartók-Violin Sonata No. 1, Sergey Prokofiev-Violin Sonata No. 1 (David Oistrakh, violin / Sviatoslav Richter, piano)

CD 27 March 29, 1972 Johannes Brahms-Violin Sonata No. 2, Franz Schubert-Andantino from Grand Duo, Ludwig van Beethoven-Rondo from Violin Sonata No. 1, December 28, 1968 César Franck-Violin Sonata in A major (David Oistrakh, violin / Sviatoslav Richter, piano)

CD 28 December 28, 1968 Johannes Brahms-Violin Sonata No. 3, Franz Schubert-Grand Duo, Ludwig van Beethoven-Adagio molto espressivo from Violin Sonata No. 6, Scherzo from Violin Sonata No. 5 (David Oistrakh, violin / Sviatoslav Richter, piano)

CD 29 May 6, 1970 Ludwig van Beethoven-Violin Sonatas Nos. 1, 3, 10, Scherzo from Violin Sonata No. 5, Adagio molto espressivo from Violin Sonata No. 6 (David Oistrakh, violin / Sviatoslav Richter, piano)

CD 30 May 3, 1969 Ludwig van Beethoven-Violin Sonata No. 6, Johannes Brahms-Violin Sonata No. 3, Dmitri Shostakovich-Violin Sonata (David Oistrakh, violin / Sviatoslav Richter, piano)

CD 31 April 20, 1969 Johann Sebastian Bach-Preludes and Fugues Nos. 1–12 from The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1

CD 32 April 21, 1969 Johann Sebastian Bach-Preludes and Fugues Nos. 13–24 from The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1

CD 33 December 12, 1968 Robert Schumann-Bunte Blätter, Modest Mussorgsky-Pictures at an Exhibition, Claude Debussy-Cloches à travers les feuilles

CD 34 October 10, 1971 Ludwig van Beethoven Piano Sonatas Nos. 27, 28, 30, 31 Johannes Brahms Pieces

CD 35 October 6, 1971 Franz Schubert-Piano Sonata No. 19, Johannes Brahms-Four Pieces from Op. 116, Frédéric Chopin-Nocturnes, Op. 15

CD 36 January 12, 1975 Ludwig van Beethoven-Piano Sonatas Nos. 3 & 4

CD 37 January 12, 1975 Ludwig van Beethoven-Piano Sonata No. 32 / Bagatelle in G major, Frédéric Chopin-Nocturne in B major, Richard Wagner-Elegie, October 6, 1971 Claude Debussy-Pieces, Sergey Rachmaninoff-Preludes

CD 38 December 22, 1968 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart-Piano Concerto No. 17, Sviatoslav Richter, piano-Moscow Chamber Orchestra, conductor – Rudolf Barshai, April 9, 1972 Alban Berg-Chamber Concerto for Piano and Violin with 13 Wind Instruments (Oleg Kagan, violin /Sviatoslav Richter, piano), Soloists Ensemble of the Moscow Radio Symphony Orchestra, conductor – Rudolf Barshai

CD 39 May 27, 1973 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart-Piano Concerto No. 14, Ludwig van Beethoven-Piano Concerto No. 3 (Sviatoslav Richter, piano / Soloists Ensemble of the Moscow Radio Symphony Orchestra, Moscow ChamberOrchestra, conductor – Rudolf Barshai

CD 40 January 9, 1977 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart-Piano Concerto No. 18, January 10, 1977 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart-Piano Concerto No. 18 (Sviatoslav Richter, piano / Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, conductor – Kirill Kondrashin)

CD 41 December 22, 1974 Nikolai Myaskovsky-Piano Sonata No. 3, Dmitri Shostakovich-Four Preludes and Fugues from Op. 87, Sergey Prokofiev-Piano Sonata No. 8

CD 42 March 25, 1978 Johann Sebastian Bach-Clavier Concerto No. 1 (Sviatoslav Richter, piano / Chamber Ensemble of Moscow Conservatory, conductor – Yuri Nikolaevsky Concerto for Clavier, 2 Flutes and Strings No. 6 (Sviatoslav Richter, piano / Marina Vorozhtsova, flute / Konstantin Mikhailov, flute Chamber Ensemble of Moscow Conservatory, conductor – YuriNikolaevsky), Brandenburg Concerto No. 5Sviatoslav Richter, piano /Marina Vorozhtsova, flute /Oleg Kagan, violin / Chamber Ensemble of Moscow Conservatory, conductor – Yuri Nikolaevsky)

CD 43 December 28, 1976 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart-Piano Concerto No. 27 (Sviatoslav Richter, piano / Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, conductor – Kirill Kondrashin), March 28, 1973 Robert Schumann-Piano Concerto in A minor (Sviatoslav Richter, piano USSR State Academic Symphony Orchestra, conductor – Rudolf Barshai)

CD 44 September 26, 1982 Dmitri Shostakovich-Sonata for Viola and Piano (Yuri Bashmet, viola /Sviatoslav Richter, piano)

CD 45 May 13, 1985 Joseph Haydn-Piano Sonata in B-flat major (Partita) Sviatoslav Richter, piano, Johannes Brahms-Violin Sonata No. 1, Dmitri Shostakovich-Violin Sonata (Oleg Kagan, violin /Sviatoslav Richter, piano)

CD 46 December 21, 1980 Ludwig van Beethoven-Piano Sonatas Nos. 6, 7, 17

CD 47 December 21, 1980 Ludwig van Beethoven-Piano Sonata No. 18, Frédéric Chopin-Etude in C minor Revolutionary, May 28, 1964 Franz Schubert-Piano Sonata No. 6 (Sviatoslav Richter, piano), January 8, 1959 Franz Liszt-Concerto Pathétique (Anton Ginsburg, first piano Sviatoslav Richter, second piano)

CD 48 January 8, 1959 Johannes Brahms-Piano Sonata No. 2 / Four Pieces Op. 119, Karol Szymanowski-Piano Sonata No. 2

CD 49 May 28, 1964 Franz Schubert-Three Pieces, D. 946, Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy-Variations sérieuses, Johannes Brahms-Pieces

CD 50 June 8, 1979 Sergey Prokofiev-Piano Sonata No. 9 / Pieces, June 9, 1979 Sergey Prokofiev-Five Pieces from Cinderella