Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky - Piano Works (Sviatoslav Richter)

Information

Composer: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

1. 2 Morceaux, Op. 10: 1. Nocturne in F major (Andante cantabile)
2. Waltz-Scherzo in A minor, Op. 7 (Tempo di Valse)
3. 2 Morceaux, Op. 10: 2. Humoresque in G major (Allegretto scherzando)
4. 6 Morceaux, Op. 19: 5. Capriccioso in B flat major (Allegretto semplice)
5. 12 Morceaux, Op. 40: 2. Chanson triste in G minor (Allegro non troppo)
6. 12 Morceaux, Op. 40: 8. Waltz in A flat major (Tempo di Valse)
7. Romance in F minor, Op. 5 (Andante cantabile)
8. 6 Morceaux, Op. 51: 5. Romance in F major (Andante cantabile)
9. 18 Morceaux, Op. 72: 15. Un poco di Chopin (Tempo di Mazurka)
10. 18 Morceaux, Op. 72: 12. L'espieègle (Allegro moderato)
11. 6 Morceaux, Op. 19: 1. Rêverie du soir in G minor (Andante espressivo)
12. 6 Morceaux, Op. 51: 3. Menuetto scherzoso in E flat major (Moderato assai)
13. 6 Morceaux, Op. 51: 1. Valse de salon in E flat major (Allegro)
14. 18 Morceaux, Op. 72: 5. Méditation (Andante mosso)
15. The Seasons, Op. 37a: 5. May. White Nights in G major (Andantino)
16. The Seasons, Op. 37a: 6. June. Barcarolle in G minor (Andante cantabile)
17. The Seasons, Op. 37a: 11. November. On the Troika in E major (Allegro moderato)
18. The Seasons, Op. 37a: 1. January. By the Fireplace in A major (Moderato semplice, ma espressivo)

Sviatoslav Richter, piano

Date: 1983

Label: Regis

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Review

It has always been a wonder to me why so few pianists program Tchaikovsky’s solo piano works. Granted, most of the pieces he left us are brief, somewhat sentimental and not overly virtuosic. Nonetheless, they possess an innocent charm and an acute sense of melodic invention. I had high hopes, then, when I received this disc of the late, great Sviatoslav Richter playing a lengthy recital of Tchaikovsky morsels.

One can hardly find fault in Richter’s playing. Direct and warm, these pieces are a part of his soul and he delivers them with just the right combination of technical panache and sentimentality. I was particularly fond of the opening Nocturne in F and the wonderful Humoresque in G major, opus ten, number 2.

What is disappointing about this collection is the overly terse early-digital sound, and the maddening need to change the volume on the stereo between each four-minute piece. Obviously this music was recorded to be packaged on one disc. To have such a huge swing in recording levels between such brief works is just plain annoying. If you leave the volume at one setting, you are blasted out of your living room by half the program, and you’ll miss the other half. Likewise, the sometimes brittle, sometimes distant sound of the piano is off-putting.

The big Penguin Guide endorsement sticker on the jewel box led me to have even less faith in that publication after listening. Regardless, this is a disc that I can still recommend with only a couple of caveats. It’s rare indeed to get such a broad sampling of Tchaikovsky’s shorter solo piano works, and to have them played by a great Russian pianist like Richter is a bonus. This is a disc that makes a nice alternative to the onslaught of Chopin and Rachmaninov discs that seem to flow forth like water from the record labels.

The booklet notes are informative, and give us some interesting insights into both performer and music. It would thrill me no end though to read a set of program notes that were more than just a blow-by-blow description of the music written at the level of a college freshman. A clever turn of phrase, perhaps? How about a flowing narrative? Surely there are some talented writers out there who can say something interesting and intelligent about a group of musical works.

Buy this at Regis’s ultra-bargain price.

-- Kevin Sutton

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Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (7 May 1840 – 6 November 1893) was a Romantic Russian composer. He was the first Russian composer whose music would make a lasting impression internationally. Tchaikovsky wrote some of the most popular concert and theatrical music in the current classical repertoire, including the ballets Swan Lake and The Nutcracker, the 1812 Overture, his First Piano Concerto, Violin Concerto, the Romeo and Juliet Overture-Fantasy, several symphonies, and the opera Eugene Onegin. Despite his many popular successes, Tchaikovsky's life was punctuated by personal crises and depression.

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Sviatoslav Richter (March 20 [O.S. March 7] 1915 – August 1, 1997) was a Soviet pianist known for the depth of his interpretations, virtuoso technique, and vast repertoire. He is considered one of the greatest pianists of the 20th century. Richter worked tirelessly to learn new pieces. His vast repertoire, around eighty different programs, not counting chamber works, ranged from Handel and Bach to Szymanowski, Berg, Webern, Stravinsky, Bartók, Hindemith, Britten, and Gershwin. Despite his large discography, Richter disliked the recording process, and most of Richter's recordings originate from live performances.

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