Sviatoslav Richter and soprano Nina Dorliak remained companions for over half a century until his death in 1997, with Dorliak dying a few months later.
Performer Biography
Richter's first concert in the free West was arranged through the mediation of Ekaterina Furtseva, a confidant of Nikita Khrushchev who was then Minister of Culture.
Performer Biography
Sviatoslav Richter, the pianist on this album, was born in Zhytomyr, Ukraine, to a German father who was a pianist, organist, composer, and professor.
Compositional Technique
Chopin's Etudes, Op. 25, each address one or more specific instrumental problems and formed the basis for his piano teaching in Paris.
Interpretation
Sviatoslav Richter believed the pianist should only be a performer, carrying out the composer's intentions to the letter and dissolving into the music.
Performer Biography
At his audition with famous piano teacher Heinrich Neuhaus, Neuhaus reportedly whispered, 'this man's a genius' about Richter.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Chopin's Etudes, Op. 10, are dedicated to Franz Liszt, a Hungarian composer and virtuoso pianist.
