March 20 world marks the 100 anniversary of the birth "Musician of the Century", the pianist Sviatoslav Richter. For Ukraine it is a special event, because a great artist is our countryman.
Sviatoslav Richter was born in Zhytomyr. His father, Theophilus Kuchma Richter, pianist and composer, graduated from the Conservatory in Vienna, gave concerts there. In Zhitomir he married his student, Anna, the daughter of a nobleman Pavel Petrovich Moskalyov and Elizabeth von Reinke.
Semon, the uncle of Svyatoslav, was not much older than his nephew, recalled that when the baby is brought from the hospital, in the confusion nobody did not know where to put it, and found a place ... on the piano! The kid was crying loudly, and someone shouted: "Shout, shout at the whole world!" It is not known what he meant, but his words were prophetic. When Svetik - the name of future pianist in the family – was one year old, the family moved to Odessa, where his father was appointed teacher of Conservatory.
Toddler found early taste for music. His first work, "Rain", was recorded by his mother because the "composer" did not know sheet music. The following works have been recorded by Svyatoslav himself ("Weaving wreaths", "Holiday", "Horse" and others). Unfortunately, the young musician did not become the composer, because he believed that the it is already created a lot of first-class music, and second-rate composing is not worth it. He started to learn to play piano by himself, and not a children's repertoire, but immediately Chopin - Nocturne in B flat minor, op.9, №1 and Etude in E Minor, Op. 25 №5. He did not go to a music school, but his level allowed him to take the place of accompanist in Odessa Opera House. It was remembered how conductor Samuel Stolerman came first to the theater and spent the first rehearsal of the opera "Eugene Onegin" by Tchaikovsky. After the rehearsal, he thanked the singers, saying that, apparently, everything was fine, but he did not hear them, listened only accompanist!
In 1937 Richter was enrolled the Moscow Conservatory (class professor Heinrich Neuhaus Gustavovich). The well-known educator and pianist immediately felt that the fate gave him the student, which he had long dreamed of. Between them there was a complete mutual understanding. Sometimes the teacher even thought that he learned from his pupil. November 26, 1940, there was the debut of the young pianist. There were in the program works of Prokofiev, who entrusted the little-known student of the first performance of his new, sixth sonata. After the premiere, he exclaimed: "And so one can play this sonata!" Soon (March 9, 1941) Richter played his 5th Piano Concerto. It was conducted by the author. In 1945, Richter won first prize at the National competition of musicians, sharing it with V.K.Merzhanov.
Young musician began swiftly master new and new works, he toured around the country. The programs amazed by their variety, and was is unclear when he had time to explore all. His skill, incredible virtuosity - to recall the "Etudes Higher Performing Arts" Liszt "Appassionata" of Beethoven's 2nd Concerto Brahms – were amazing. Our musical public, and later listeners of Eastern Europe (since 1950), the United States and Western Europe (1960) saw him as a star of the greatest magnitude. He was a welcomed guest in any country, in the most famous concert halls, he performed with leading conductors and the best orchestras. The Italian newspaper "Epoque" wrote: "Any other pianist plays ten fingers, but in America they wrote that Richter plays ten arms, the French argued that Rihter plays with ten heads. But this is not so: Richter plays with his whole being!" But the reviews, applause of fans do not affect the artist - he, in spite of worldwide fame, sees himself as a performer of great composers will, thus, as if pushing himself into the background. Maestro almost did not speak with the press, answering: "My interviews are my concerts."
Sviatoslav Richter was the subject of many articles, books, attempts to analyze his exceptional performing arts, unparalleled, which awakened thought and opened new horizons. It was appeared the concept "the phenomenon of Richter." Each researcher was trying to make sense of this unique phenomenon in art. In the history of performing it was drew the line: before Richter, and since his appearing in music. No one put such a huge artistic tasks, like him, and did not give a convincing answer. But the musician at the same time believed that the perpetrator can not be a genius, geniuses are the creators of masterpieces.
This question is the eternal theme for discussion.
What is the problem of high performing musician? He plays works by artists of different historical and cultural epochs. Take for example the suite of J.S. Bach. It seems like dance music, and do we, the people of the XXI century be amazed by it? Gigue, which was danced by sailors, or Sarabande, Courante, Gavotte - all of this, at first glance, may be only have a culture interest. And brilliant Iohann Sebastian gave them something OVERTIME content that is able to survive him and many generations. And nobody except Rihter could see these works in the context of the eternal human value and can not be so perfectly embody the idea of musical geniuses, make them our contemporaries. Richter - a bridge between eras and generations, he was the musical prophet. Whatever music is played, he became her co-author, opening its depth as if he was its creator.
Words can not express the aesthetic pleasure, obtained by his listeners. But hardly anyone's perpetrator art had yet such ethical significance. People came out of the halls enlightened. After heard and experienced, it would seem, it becomes impossible indecent deeds - because the meanness is unacceptable when you become a witness to such a height and purity.
The Richter’s art goes beyond the music, it generalizes the ideals of humanity, expressing them with the help of the piano, which he mastered with the unattainable perfection. Richter was not just a pianist with absolute technical capabilities, he was the musical thinker. In his performance, there was no single uncertain sound. It was the absolute accuracy of the statements, the vision of music "from the eagle flight" as his art was characterized by H.Neuhaus. It is always the only possible and convincing look at the work. Listen to the same over the years, something has changed in the approach to performance, but the artist has found new paint, new mood, and it is again interesting and convincing. With his activity, his discoveries Sviatoslav Richter prooved that there are geniuses-performers, and in their number he - "first among equals" (again, the definition of H. Neuhaus)!
It is impossible not to mention the vast repertoire of musicians. He played works of 54 composers (and, in this did not include the authors whose works he performed only as an accompanist of singers) from Bach, Handel, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Schumann, Liszt to Prokofiev, Shostakovich, Bartok, Webern. In music, it was a lot he had to say, to give a unique look. Therefore, it was often as if he re-opened listeners long known works. There were "closings" - the theme exhausted to go further is simply impossible. One can give the vivid examples: "Appassionata" by Beethoven, his last sonatas, Liszt's Sonata in B minor, the Sonata in B flat major and C minor by Schubert, his fantasy "Wanderer," "Symphonic Etudes" Schumann, his "Fantasy" and "Toccata", 1 st, 2 nd concerts and Rachmaninoff preludes, sonatas Skrya¬bina №№ 5, 6, 7, Prokofiev sonatas ... The list goes on.
Hardly anyone of pianists left such a huge amount of records. Many of them have been published, but there were even more amateur records: people switched on the tape recorders during concerts, and now we have the opportunity to listen these rarities. If you print a complete list of his records, there will be a book of 198 pages. And if you make a list of all his concerts with a list of the works carried out by them since March 19, 1934 in Odessa to the last concert of March 30, 1995 in Lübeck, you will get a multi-volume edition in 1689, the volume of pages!
The topic "Richter and Ukraine" also present some interest. He performed here 271 concert, in particular, 90 - in Kiev (the first - November 15, 1944, the last - April 12 1985), 33 – in Lviv, 14 in Kharkiv and 4 in Zhitomir. It was in Kiev there were appeared for the first time in his repertoire, new works for him: 27th Beethoven Sonata in E Minor, Opus 90; "Symphonic Etudes" Schumann (17 November 1944); two etudes from the "transcendent" Liszt - A minor and F Minor (8 and 11 November 1949), five "Songs Without Words" by Mendelssohn (February 12 1972). Starting from Kiev it was began cooperation bass from Hertnagel from Germany Georg Richter and quartet of Borodin (7 and 8 June 1980).
Every visit of Svyatoslav Teofilovich was an unforgettable event in the life of his admirers. Preparations began in advance, because to get a ticket to the concert was not easy. On the day of the concert the Philharmonic house was surrounded by militia - it was necessary to restrain the crowd who tried to get through at the room in any way.
I remember as in 12 April 1985 the youth climbed up the fire escape, passed on the opposite side of the roof, and then went down the same stairs not without circus skills, through the open window. The same day, the administration asked m and pianist Sergei Skrinchenko to make a passage in a crowd of people flooded the courtyard Philharmonic - Richter should go into the room through the service entrance. Our mission has been elusive since we were one on one with the sea of supporters, sometimes quite militant. When Sergei began to act decisively, the yellow wall was wiped by his tuxedo. The sight was horrible. But the problem goes away by itself: we heard applause - they sounded from the street, they picked up all those who stood in the courtyard, and a great musician quickly passed the "corridor", which arose without any requests. I grabbed a bunch of pre-prepared seven white roses, which as the assistant my wife was holding, and gave Svyatoslav Theofilovich. It turned out beautifully. On that day he gave two concerts. After the second again I handed him a bouquet. He smiled kindly.
Багато було моментів, які не втратили свіжості в пам'яті, ніби все від¬бувалось учора. Ось різкий нахил вліво – і пішов, як іде лава, "Порив" Шумана (23 листопада 1969 р.) або тиша перед бурею в Другій баладі Шопена, а потім потужний вибух і невпинний каменепад (8 жовтня 1978 р.), або звук незрів¬нянної чистоти – такої, що виникло враження м'якої хвилі, яка на мить охопила ті¬ло і душу, – в "Екс¬промті" ля бемоль мажор, оп. 90, №4 Шуберта (7 жовтня 1978 р.), або велетенський напір в 8-й сонаті Прокоф'єва (24 листопада 1969 р.)…
After one of his concert at the festival "December Nights" December 15, 1985 I asked for an autograph, but not for me personally, and for all the people of Kiev. I am still keeping the priceless program with the inscription: "Kiev residents through Yuri Bokhonov. Sviatoslav Richter."
There were a lot of moments that did not lose the freshness in mind, if all happened yesterday. That's a sharp slope to the left - and went, as is a lava, "Rush" of Schumann (November 23 1969) or the calm before the storm in the Second Chopin ballad, and then a huge explosion and continuous rockfall (8 October 1978)…
It was a great joy to listen the famous Master in concerts. His recordings have not stopped animate the modern music lovers. I do not dare to say, "Richter played." He plays and will play to us and our descendants, "Musician of the Century" Sviatoslav Richter!
Yuri Bokhonov, Ph.D., Assoc., ESC "IASA"