Sviastoslav Richter was regarded as one of the greatest classical pianists who ever lived. Born in the Soviet Union in what is now Ukraine, he became known in the West through his recordings in the 1950s. He wowed audiences on American tours in the '60s and left a canon of recordings that critics continue to savour.

The son of a professional pianist, Richter began to play the piano as a child and by the age of 15 he had performed with the Odessa Opera. After studying at the Moscow Conservatory with Heinrich Neuhaus, he gave his first public recital at the age of 19 and won national acclaim at 26 playing Tchaikovsky's piano concertos. He performed in the Soviet bloc nations from the late 1950s until a recording of Prokofiev's 'Piano Concerto No. 5' with the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra found it's way to America. A recording of Rachmaninov's 'Piano Concerto No. 2' with the same orchestra furthered his foothold in the United States and he made his American debut in October 1960 with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra conducted by Erich Leinsdorf. His performance of Brahms's 'Piano Concerto No. 2' thrilled audiences and critics and he cemented his place with several concerts at New York's Carnegie Hall. Later, he performed in London, France and Japan.

His repertoire stretched to as many 80 different programmes, not including chamber works, and featured pieces by all the masters of classical music. Live performances make up most of his recorded work but his studio albums of music by Schubert, Liszt, Rachmaninov and Schumann are regarded highly and his recording of Brahms' 'Piano Concerto No. 2' won him a Grammy Award in 1961. French director Bruno Monsaingeon's 1998 documentary film 'Richter: The Enigma' marks one of the few times that the volatile pianist sat still for an interview, with conversations recorded shortly before his death.

Sviatoslav Richter

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