Sviatoslav Richter - Beethoven: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 3, Opp. 15 & 37 (1993)

These are not the canonical Richter recordings of Beethoven's First and Third piano concertos. All Richter connoisseurs agree that his gloriously graceful and joyously lyrical 1960 recording of the First with Charles Münch leading the Boston Symphony is the First to get, while most agree that his awesomely dramatic and stunningly virtuosic 1962 recording with Kurt Sanderling leading the Vienna Symphony is probably the one to get but that his staggeringly intense and shatteringly concentrated 1977 recording with Riccardo Muti leading the Philharmonia is worth a place on the shelf. No, these are recordings of performances Richter gave on December 18, 1956, with Bretislav Bakala leading the Brno State Philharmonic Orchestra, and while they have the hallmarks of the canonical recordings, they are not quite in their league. There are two reasons for this. First, Richter is far more daring in both performances, taking chances that seem almost reckless -- jumping downbeats, rushing double octaves, holding back at climaxes, letting go in codas. These things are thrilling in themselves, but they lack the Olympian poise that distinguishes the pianist's best work. Second, Bakala and the Brno are only sometimes more than competent -- their entrances can be ragged and their ensemble can be scrappy -- but always less than inspired -- they seem so in awe of the giddy brilliance of Richter's playing that it's all they can do to keep up. When taken together with Praga's understandably raw but surprisingly clean sound, these Richter recordings are only breathtakingly thrilling and jaw-droppingly amazing -- and thus not among his very best.