Essential Richter: The Sofia Recital, 1958 cover

Essential Richter: The Sofia Recital, 1958

Recorded
Released

Allegedly the recording of Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition that inspired Keith Emerson, the Sofia Recital from 1958 is the definitive take on that wild expressionist tableau. For Schubert, Richter is almost shockingly tender and easy, and Liszt becomes pure abundance in his hands. A staggering amount of range in one performance with one instrumentalist.

Sasha Frere-Jones

Recommended by

Suggestions
Lionel Richie cover

Lionel Richie

Lionel Richie
Mingus Plays Piano cover

Mingus Plays Piano

Charles Mingus
Elgar & Beach: Piano Quintets cover

Elgar & Beach: Piano Quintets

Garrick Ohlsson, Takács Quartet
In the Cut cover

In the Cut

Ray Bryant
Elgar: Violin Concerto; Vaughan Williams: The Lark Ascending cover

Elgar: Violin Concerto; Vaughan Williams: The Lark Ascending

Hilary Hahn, London Symphony Orchestra, Sir Colin Davis
Slow Dark Green Murky Waterfall cover

Slow Dark Green Murky Waterfall

Mica Levi, Eliza McCarthy
Push the Sky Away cover

Push the Sky Away

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
Journey in Satchidananda cover

Journey in Satchidananda

Pharoah Sanders, Alice Coltrane