Sunday, July 1

Richter on Grieg's Piano Concerto

I copy from Richter's diary (entry made on 9/VII/1977):

"I've always liked the Grieg Concerto. I like it for its ruggedness, virility and coldness: a bracing north wind blows through it, and when the piano enters in the second movement, you 'd think you could hear a bird singing from the top of a tall pine tree. I also like it for its originality and its total absence of mawkishness".

Richter's recording of the Grieg Piano Concerto is fabulous! Even the Maestro himself was (strangely enough!) positive for this recording - made with the Orchestre National de l' Opera de Monte Carlo with Matacic in the pondium.

Here is the 2nd movement (Adagio) - see if you could hear also the "bird singing from the top of a tall pine tree"...


Grieg's Concerto is one of the most popular piano concertos ever written. Indeed, there is a distinct freshness to it and this is precisely the challenge for every pianist: to make it sound afresh despite the numerous recordings...