Richter at his greatest, including Schumann and Beethoven performances which seem to go beyond the limits of possibility. Also an example of Richter's Chopin--not the composer he was best known for, but outstanding playing.


  • Schumann: Toccata op7 (Moscow - April 1958)
  • Chopin: Andante Spianato + Grand Polonaise - Op. 22 (London 1961, Kondrashin LSO)
  • Beethoven: Piano Sonata #23 in f minor - Op. 57 "Appassionata" - (Moscow 1960)


For this program I selected three of my favorite Richter recordings that would fit into the available time. The Schumann Toccata, from a Parnassus CD, was the single performance that convinced me to start our "Richter in the 1950s" series, simply amazing playing from every aspect. The Chopin is idiomatic and lovely playing of a real showpiece; Richter didn't have a great reputation as a Chopin player but this shows he could play Chopin most convincingly. Finally, the "Appassionata" is one of the supreme moments in all of recorded pianism. Richter plays with power and concentration on the highest level, and his playing of the finale is simply the greatest I've ever heard. Sometimes this performance seems to go beyond what is humanly possible.

Download Grand Piano Podcast GP 004 here (53 minutes, 49Mb, 128k mp3)

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