Euro Recordings

WARNING: There was a problem with early issues of this box. For details, see the footnote.* Good News - the legal dispute over the ownership of Sviatoslav Richter's Eurodisc recordings has finally been resolved. Sony is releasing them in a nice fourteen CD box. Recorded in Salzburg, Vienna and Munich between 1970 and 1983. A joint production of the small German label Eurodisc (Ariola) and the Soviet giant Melodiya. These are among the last of Richter's studio recordings, and the best-recorded. For once, the self-critical Richter was enthusiastic about the results: "These recordings of mine of two of Schubert's posthumous sonatas have more good points than bad ones" (!) After Eurodisc, most of Richter's commercial recordings were made in concert. Bach: -- Well-Tempered Klavier Book I, BWV 846-869 = 1970 Salzburg -- Well-Tempered Klavier Book II, BWV 870-893 = 1972-73 Salzburg Beethoven: -- Piano Sonata 3 in C Major, Op.2, No.3 = 1975 Vienna -- Piano Sonata 4 in E-Flat Major, Op.7 = 1975 Vienna -- Piano Sonata 27 in E Minor, Op.90 = 1971 Salzburg -- Variations Op.34 on an Original Theme in D Major = 1970 Salzburg -- Variations and Fugue Op.35 in E-Flat Major, 'Eroica Variations' = 1970 Salzburg -- Variations Op. 76 on an Original Theme in D Major, 'The Ruins of Athens' = 1970 Salzburg Brahms: -- Op. 118, No.1 Intermezzo in A Minor = 1971 Salzburg -- Op. 118, No.3 Ballade in G Minor = 1971 Salzburg -- Op. 118, No.6 Intermezzo in E-Flat Minor = 1971 Salzburg Chopin, Frédéric -- Scherzi No. 1-4 = 1977 Munich Rachmaninov: -- Etudes-Tableaux Op.33, No.5,6,9 = 1983 Munich -- Etudes-Tableaux Op. 39, No.1,2,3,4,7,9 = 1983 Munich -- Preludes, Op.23, No.1,2,4,5,7,8 = 1971 Salzburg -- Preludes, Op.32, No.1,2,6,7,9,10,12 = 1971 Salzburg Schubert: -- Sonata No. 19 in C Minor, D.958 = 1972 Salzburg -- Sonata No. 21 in B-Flat Major, D.960 = 1972 Salzburg -- Impromptu D.935, No.2 in A-Flat Major = 1971 Salzburg Schumann: -- Bünte Blatter (14), Op. 99 = 1971 Salzburg -- Symphonic Etudes, Op. 13 = 1971 Salzburg Tchaikovsky: -- Op.5 Romance in F Minor = 1983 Munich -- Op.7 Valso-Scherzo in A Major = 1983 Munich -- Op.10 Morceaux (2) = 1983 Munich -- Op.19, No.1 Reverie du soir in G Minor = 1983 Munich -- Op.19, No.5 Capriccioso in B-Flat Major = 1983 Munich -- Op.37, No.1,5,6,11 from 'The Seasons' = 1983 Munich -- Op.40, No.2 Chanson triste in G Minor = 1983 Munich -- Op.40, No.8 Valse in A-Flat Major = 1983 Munich -- Op.51, No.1 Valse de salon in A-Flat Major = 1983 Munich -- Op.51, No.3 Menuetto scherzoso in E-Flat Major = 1983 Munich -- Op.51, No.5 Romance in F Major = 1983 Munich -- Op.72, No.5 Meditation in D Major = 1983 Munich -- Op.72, No.12 L'Espiegle in E Major = 1983 Munich -- Op.72, No.15 Un poco di Chopin in C-Sharp Minor = 1983 Munich Fourteen CDs in a cardboard box with a 32 page booklet. "Original jacket" format - Eurodisc’s art department typically used landscape paintings for the front cover, and photos of Richter for the back cover of their LPs. Program notes were on a separate sheet tucked inside the LP jacket, which means that only two CD mini-jackets in this collection have actual program notes. The Bach Well-Tempered Klavier was previously issued on CD by RCA. That re-mastering is used here. The remaining ten CDs were issued by the small British label Olympia back in the 1990s. They have been newly re-mastered in 24 bit/96kHz. Everything sounds fine to me. My only complaint: Schumann's Symphonic Etudes is contained on one 34 minute track, instead of 18 tracks (one for the theme and each variation - Richter includes the five posthumously published variations) Despite the listing on the jackets and CD labels, the Bach is laid out with twelve Preludes and Fugues per CD (the booklet is correct) I have added this material to my "INDEX TO RECORDINGS OF SVIATOSLAV RICHTER BY WESTERN RECORD COMPANIES" - see Richter: Complete Decca, Philips & DG Recordings * WARNING: This box was released in Germany early in 2016, but discs 6 (Beethoven + Schumann), 8 (Rachmaninov), 10 (Schubert Sonata 21 in B-flat) and 12 (Chopin) were faulty and Sony recalled the unsold sets. I waited a few months before ordering my set from Amazon (M+L). It shipped from Germany and arrived nine days later. Absolutely no playback problems. I'm reasonably confident that any new boxes ordered through Amazon should be OK. Anyway they are guaranteed. I do advise against purchasing used copies.

I'm in awe of these performances, and the quality of the remastered recordings. Excellent. The flawed discs described must be in the past because all I received played fine. Somehow I missed listening to Richter in the years of Horowitz, Rubinstein, Serkin, Ashkenazy. Although not qualified to judge, for me these are wonderful performances. Prior to buying this box set I purchased the Rachmaninov and Schumann CD's issued by Praga. The Rachmaninov is the same selections and the audio is also excellent, no better or worse than the box set. Praga doesn't report on recording dates in the notes but another reviewer states the Praga issue is from the original (prior to remaster) Eurodisc. The Schumann CD is of similar audio quality, not identical but some common pieces. A reviewer of the Praga CD states the Symphonic Etudes were recorded 1956. The Eurodisc recording is from September 1971, Salzburg. I suggest checking for common material before buying, something I failed to do because finding all the material is difficult on Amazon. In my view there is no reason to buy the Praga Rachmaninov CD (unless you don't want the other material in the Eurodisc box). There may be good reason to buy the Schumann CD. I'm not going to enter reviews for the Praga discs so hope people will see this. The other input I can offer is the Praga CD's are high quality. If there is music of interest not in this box, don't hesitate.

prompt delivery, new as describe

Amazing remastering, sublime interpretation. For me the Chopin Scherzi disc stands as one of the greatest Chopin recordings ever! And the remastered edition from this box makes this gem even more glitter.

Un 'promenade' pianístico desde el monumental "Clave bien temperado" de Bach (en mi humilde opinión, esa versión integral en piano moderno como referencia) hasta los Preludios y Estudios de Rachmaninov pasando por Beethoven, Schubert, Chopin, Schumann, Brahms y exquisitas miniaturas de Tchaikovsky. Richter en estas grabaciones derrocha una técnica sobre el instrumento completa: contrastes, matices, pedales, ritmo y también, en el sentido metafísico: fe interior, bravura, luminosidad, energía, poderío, ternura, todo en el sitio exacto, cada cosa en el momento indicado, sin manierismos ni extravagancias, con un estilo y arte personales y a la vez impersonales, como si fuese el traductor 'ideal' entre el compositor (partitura) y el oyente. Richter nos habla bien claro a través de su gran cola, el sonido no es nitidísimo del todo pero la calidad de las grabaciones (al menos el cofre que me ha llegado) es muy alta, a pesar de estar grabado todo en analógico menos el Recital de Tchaikovsky que ya es digital. Lástima que no se haya 'rellenado' el vacío del tiempo de cada uno de los CD's con bonus o así, pero bueno, la sensación de tener un mini LP en todo color (un detalle de diseño que se aprecia mucho) y de escuchar estas grabaciones (las cuales no todas están disponibles en fuentes de Internet) es un placer para todos los sentidos. Totalmente recomendable, obras maestras del arte pianístico a través de uno de sus máximos intérpretes. Gracias a Richter por dejarnos ese testimonio definitivo.

Richter,what else

Davvero straordinario questo cofanetto che raccoglie ben 14 CD che Richter incise per l'etichetta Euroarts (negli anni '80 sorgevano etichette musicali come funghi....poi sono scomparse quasi tutte...anche la EMI!!). Per rendere addirittura indispensabile l'acquisto di questo cofanetto basterebbero i primi 4 CD che contendono l'integrale del Clavicembalo ben temperato di Bach. Indispensabile perché l'interpretazione di Richter é stata e tuttora rimane IL PARADIGMA, la Pietra di Paragone assoluta. Basta pensare che Glenn Gould ha sempre venerato Richter come pianista "assoluto" e addirittura cambio idea su Schubert proprio dopo aver ascoltato una straordinaria interpretazione di Richter. Ben due sono le sonate di Schubert qui contenute, la D958 e la D960 op. postuma, eseguite davvero ad un livello di approfondimento inimmaginabile se non si ascoltano le incisioni di questo cofanetto! E si ascoltano con piacere anche le variazioni di Beethoen, incise raramente da altri "giganti" della tastiera, e non ci si stupisce di trovare Richter impegnato in pezzi ritenuti "minori" proprio perché questo era parte integrante del sua modo di essere musicista e pensatore. Quello cioè di suonare quello che gli piaceva, senza curarsi di avere n repertorio le "integrali". Infatti non suono mai diverse sonate di Beethoven, e neppure tutti i suoi concerti per piano e orchestra, ma solo il primo e il terzo! Eppure il suo repertorio immenso conteneva i concerti per piano di Glazunov e di Dvorak....tanto per ricordare come era fatto questo grande artista della tastiera. Di sicuro gli Scherzi di Chopin qui contenuti sono i "più granitici" fra quelli mai incisi, ma a questo proposito bisogna ricordare che nientemeno che Arthur Rubinstein rimase assolutamente estasiato ascoltando lo Chopin e lo Scribin di Richter nei famosi concerti newyorkesi alla Carnegie Hall (peraltro contenuti nel cofanetto della Sony, altro box da non perdere per i fan del pianista russo-ucraino!). E che dire del Rachmaninov di Richter se non che é ancora oggi l'interpretazione di riferimento per tutti, almeno a dar retta a quanto scrive un certo Vladimir Ashkenazy? Chiede la raccolta una serie di brani raramente eseguiti di Tchaikovsky, fra cui le Stagioni, opera troppo spesso trascurata dai grandi interpreti e ignorata dal grande pubblico. La tecnica di registrazione? É sempre molto bella, quasi sempre in ADD, cioè in analogico rimasterizzato digitale perché quasi tutte incisioni degli anni '70, ma ci sono anche diverse incisioni in digitale nativo DDD. Le copertine sono quelle originali della prima uscita sul mercato. Il prezzo poi é davvero conveniente, quindi....non ho saputo resistere e "ho fatto click"! Il problema non é questo, ma é che non riesco più a smettere di ascoltare questi CD.....😃

最近、リヒテルのボックスが多く、録音が多彩な会社に渡っているので非常に困ります（苦笑） このボックスは色々買った中では、まず音が良いです。平均律は以前より遥かにクリアーになり前のは処分出来ました。リヒテルの録音というと、敢えて朴訥なヤマハ風が多いですがリヒテルはヤマハ以外にベーゼルドルファーも好み非常に綺麗な響きが曲によりあります。 音源は Disc1-4 J.S.バッハ：平均律クラヴィーア曲集全曲 BWV.846-893 Disc5 ベートーヴェン： 6つの変奏曲 ヘ長調 Op.34 『トルコ行進曲』の主題による6つの変奏曲 ニ長調 Op.76 エロイカの主題による15の変奏曲とフーガ 変ホ長調 Op.35 1970年7月 Disc6 ベートーヴェン ピアノ・ソナタ第27番ホ短調 Op.90 シューマン 交響的練習曲 Op.13 1971年9月 Disc7 シューマン 色とりどりの小品 Op.99 ブラームス 6つの小品 Op.118より（間奏曲 イ短調／バラード ト短調／間奏曲 変ホ長調） 1971年9月 Disc8 ラフマニノフ 前奏曲集 Op.23より（第1,2,4,5,7,8曲）前奏曲集 Op.32より（第1,2,6,7,9,10,12曲）1971年9月 Disc9 シューベルト ピアノ・ソナタ第19番ハ短調 D.958 即興曲 変イ長調 Op.142-2 1972年8月 Disc10 シューベルト ピアノ・ソナタ第21番変ロ長調 D.960 1972年8月 Disc11 ベートーヴェン ピアノ・ソナタ第3番ハ長調 Op.2 第4番変ホ長調 Op.7 1975年4月 Disc12 ショパン スケルツォ第1番ロ短調 Op.20 第2番変ロ短調 Op.31 第3番嬰ハ短調 Op.39 第4番ホ長調 Op.54 1977年7月 Disc13 チャイコフスキー 四季 Op.37bより（5月：白夜／6月：舟歌／11月：トロイカ／1月：炉ばたにて） ラフマニノフ 練習曲集『音の絵』 Op.33より（第9曲：嬰ハ短調／第5曲：ニ短調／第6曲：変ホ短調） ラフマニノフ 練習曲集『音の絵』 Op.39より（第1曲：ハ短調／第2曲：イ短調／第3曲：嬰ヘ短調／第4曲：ロ短調／第9曲：ニ長調／第7曲：ハ短調） 1983年4月 Disc14 チャイコフスキー 夜想曲 Op.10-1 ワルツ／スケルツォ Op.7 ユモレスク Op.10-2 カプリッチョーソ Op.19-5 悲しい歌 Op.40-2 ワルツ Op.40-8 ロマンス Op.5 Op.51-5 ショパン風に Op.72-15 いたずらっ子 Op.72-12 夕べの夢想 Op.19-1 メヌエット／スケルツォ Op.51-3 サロン風ワルツ Op.51-1 瞑想 Op.72-5 1983年4月