The Lost Tapes (CD)

These recordings, made by Deutsche Grammophon in 1965 at the Tours and Lucerne festivals, have lain in the archives for sixty years. Now, they have been meticulously restored by Emil Berliner Studios and are being released for the first time. Like many other artists, Richter found he could play more freely and give better performances in the concert hall than in the studio. These previously unknown live recordings reveal the pianist at the height of his powers. Van Cliburn's remark, "Richter has the most powerful piano playing I have ever heard," certainly applies here. His interpretations of Beethoven's sonatas are strikingly modern, and the artistic freedom, technical brilliance, and love of music expressed in these recordings are phenomenal. A beautiful publication with a recent interview with Elisabeth Leonskaja, an essay by Jed Distler, editorial notes by Markus Kettner, and numerous photographs, some of which have never been published before.