Sviatoslav Richter - Richter plays Bach (4CD) (2008)

Stradivarius' 1991 studio and live digital recordings of Sviatoslav Richter are now brought together for a new definitive mid-price luxurious digipak box. Sviatoslav Richter is widely regarded as one of the finest pianists of the 20th century.With a career that began in Soviet Russia in the 1930s, listeners in the West had their first opportunity to hear him through recordings made in the 1950s, and his reputation among classical fans grew quickly. Richter's approach to music is best illustrated by the enormous range of his repertoire. In recital and on recordings he played everything from Bach to Stravinsky to George Gershwin as well as championing unknown or unpopular works he thought deserved the public's attention. Richter's performances of Bach are rare and exquisite jewels indeed. He possessed exactly the right degree of intellectual command and technical control to liberate the ghost from the machine and the results are never less than satisfying.The playing is patrician and often miraculous, but the visceral element of showmanship, is almost entirely absent. Instead, there is a tangible sense of communion that seems particularly appropriate for Bach. Richter does not make the mistake of attempting to turn his concert grand into a harpsichord, instead he subtlety uses all the resources at his disposal to delineate and clarify the texture.The possession of one of the most glorious sounds in pianistic history certainly helps too.

Track List:

CD 1
1. Sonata for keyboard in C major (after J. A. Reincken), BWV 966 (BC L186): Prelude
2. Sonata for keyboard in C major (after J. A. Reincken), BWV 966 (BC L186): Allemande
3. Sonata for keyboard in C major (after J. A. Reincken), BWV 966 (BC L186): Adagio - Allegro
4. Sonata for keyboard in C major (after J. A. Reincken), BWV 966 (BC L186): Fuga
5. Sonata for keyboard in D major, BWV 963 (BC L182): (Allegro maestoso)
6. Sonata for keyboard in D major, BWV 963 (BC L182): Grave
7. Sonata for keyboard in D major, BWV 963 (BC L182): (Fugato)
8. Sonata for keyboard in D major, BWV 963 (BC L182): Adagio (Presto-Adagio-Allegro) - (Fuga)
9. Sonata arranged for keyboard in D minor (after BWV 1003, possibly by J.G. Müthel), BWV 964 (BC L184): Adagio
10. Sonata arranged for keyboard in D minor (after BWV 1003, possibly by J.G. Müthel), BWV 964 (BC L184): Thema - Allegro
11. Sonata arranged for keyboard in D minor (after BWV 1003, possibly by J.G. Müthel), BWV 964 (BC L184): Andante
12. Sonata arranged for keyboard in D minor (after BWV 1003, possibly by J.G. Müthel), BWV 964 (BC L184): Allegro
13. Capriccio in honorem Johann Christoph Bach ii, for keyboard in E major, BWV 993 (BC L180)
14. Duetto, for keyboard No. 1 in E minor (Clavier-Übung III No. 23), BWV 802 (BC J74)
15. Duetto, for keyboard No. 2 in F major (Clavier-Übung III No. 24), BWV 803 (BC J75)
16. Duetto, for keyboard No. 3 in G major (Clavier-Übung III No. 25), BWV 804 (BC J76)
17. Duetto, for keyboard No. 4 in A minor (Clavier-Übung III No. 26), BWV 805 (BC J77)
18. Italian Concerto, for solo keyboard in F major (Clavier-Übung II/1), BWV 971 (BC L7): (Allegro)
19. Italian Concerto, for solo keyboard in F major (Clavier-Übung II/1), BWV 971 (BC L7): Andante
20. Italian Concerto, for solo keyboard in F major (Clavier-Übung II/1), BWV 971 (BC L7): Presto

CD 2
1. English Suite, for keyboard No. 1 in A major, BWV 806 (BC L13): Prélude
2. English Suite, for keyboard No. 1 in A major, BWV 806 (BC L13): Allemande
3. English Suite, for keyboard No. 1 in A major, BWV 806 (BC L13): Courante I
4. English Suite, for keyboard No. 1 in A major, BWV 806 (BC L13): Courante II
5. English Suite, for keyboard No. 1 in A major, BWV 806 (BC L13): Double I
6. English Suite, for keyboard No. 1 in A major, BWV 806 (BC L13): Double II
7. English Suite, for keyboard No. 1 in A major, BWV 806 (BC L13): Sarabande
8. English Suite, for keyboard No. 1 in A major, BWV 806 (BC L13): Bourrée I
9. English Suite, for keyboard No. 1 in A major, BWV 806 (BC L13): Bourrée II
10. English Suite, for keyboard No. 1 in A major, BWV 806 (BC L13): Gigue
11. English Suite, for keyboard No. 3 in G minor, BWV 808 (BC L15): Prélude
12. English Suite, for keyboard No. 3 in G minor, BWV 808 (BC L15): Allemande
13. English Suite, for keyboard No. 3 in G minor, BWV 808 (BC L15): Courante
14. English Suite, for keyboard No. 3 in G minor, BWV 808 (BC L15): Sarabande
15. English Suite, for keyboard No. 3 in G minor, BWV 808 (BC L15): Les agréments de la méme Sarabande
16. English Suite, for keyboard No. 3 in G minor, BWV 808 (BC L15): Gavotte I
17. English Suite, for keyboard No. 3 in G minor, BWV 808 (BC L15): Gavotte II ou la musette
18. English Suite, for keyboard No. 3 in G minor, BWV 808 (BC L15): Gigue

CD 3
1. English Suite, for keyboard No. 4 in F major, BWV 809 (BC L16): Prélude
2. English Suite, for keyboard No. 4 in F major, BWV 809 (BC L16): Allemande
3. English Suite, for keyboard No. 4 in F major, BWV 809 (BC L16): Courante
4. English Suite, for keyboard No. 4 in F major, BWV 809 (BC L16): Sarabande
5. English Suite, for keyboard No. 4 in F major, BWV 809 (BC L16): Menuet I
6. English Suite, for keyboard No. 4 in F major, BWV 809 (BC L16): Menuet II
7. English Suite, for keyboard No. 4 in F major, BWV 809 (BC L16): Gigue
8. English Suite, for keyboard No. 6 in D minor, BWV 811 (BC L18): Prélude
9. English Suite, for keyboard No. 6 in D minor, BWV 811 (BC L18): Allemande
10. English Suite, for keyboard No. 6 in D minor, BWV 811 (BC L18): Courante
11. English Suite, for keyboard No. 6 in D minor, BWV 811 (BC L18): Sarabande
12. English Suite, for keyboard No. 6 in D minor, BWV 811 (BC L18): Double
13. English Suite, for keyboard No. 6 in D minor, BWV 811 (BC L18): Gavotte I
14. English Suite, for keyboard No. 6 in D minor, BWV 811 (BC L18): Gavotte II
15. English Suite, for keyboard No. 6 in D minor, BWV 811 (BC L18): Gigue

CD 4
1. French Suite, for keyboard No. 2 in C minor, BWV 813 (BC L20): Allemande
2. French Suite, for keyboard No. 2 in C minor, BWV 813 (BC L20): Courante
3. French Suite, for keyboard No. 2 in C minor, BWV 813 (BC L20): Sarabande
4. French Suite, for keyboard No. 2 in C minor, BWV 813 (BC L20): Air
5. French Suite, for keyboard No. 2 in C minor, BWV 813 (BC L20): Menuet I
6. French Suite, for keyboard No. 2 in C minor, BWV 813 (BC L20): Menuet II
7. French Suite, for keyboard No. 2 in C minor, BWV 813 (BC L20): Gigue
8. French Suite, for keyboard No. 4 in E flat major, BWV 815 (BC L22): Prélude
9. French Suite, for keyboard No. 4 in E flat major, BWV 815 (BC L22): Allemande
10. French Suite, for keyboard No. 4 in E flat major, BWV 815 (BC L22): Courante
11. French Suite, for keyboard No. 4 in E flat major, BWV 815 (BC L22): Sarabande
12. French Suite, for keyboard No. 4 in E flat major, BWV 815 (BC L22): Gavotte I
13. French Suite, for keyboard No. 4 in E flat major, BWV 815 (BC L22): Gavotte II
14. French Suite, for keyboard No. 4 in E flat major, BWV 815 (BC L22): Menuet
15. French Suite, for keyboard No. 4 in E flat major, BWV 815 (BC L22): Air
16. French Suite, for keyboard No. 4 in E flat major, BWV 815 (BC L22): Gigue
17. Toccata for keyboard in D minor, BWV 913 (BC L144)
18. Fantasia and Fugue, for keyboard in C minor (fugue incomplete), BWV 906 (BC L133, 138)

Performers:
Sviatoslav Richter (piano)