Lilia Valitova
composer and pianist
Svyatoslav Richter was one of the greatest pianists, who graduated from Moscow conservatory.
He studied with Heinrich Neuhaus. His father was shot in 1941, because he was a Soviet German. Many soviet Germans were killed or sent to Kazakhstan and many of them lived in special camps in a horrible conditions, when the World War II started.
Despite of all his difficulties in his life, Richter made a brilliant carrier as a pianist. He was one of the first musicians to tour all over the world during Soviet times. This opportunity was impossible for most of musicians in Soviet time.
It was almost impossible to get the tickets to his concerts. The concert halls were always full. Once I just heard a rumor, that Richter would give one of his "non-official" concerts in the College of Music of Merzlyakov's Concert Hall. I went there immediately. I was lucky to attend this concert. He played Paul Hindemith's "Ludus Tonalis".
I had to pretend, that I was a reporter for the Moscow conservatory newspaper and I was allowed to enter his artistic room. He was sitting there with a young pianist Milstein. He asked me:
He studied with Heinrich Neuhaus. His father was shot in 1941, because he was a Soviet German. Many soviet Germans were killed or sent to Kazakhstan and many of them lived in special camps in a horrible conditions, when the World War II started.
Despite of all his difficulties in his life, Richter made a brilliant carrier as a pianist. He was one of the first musicians to tour all over the world during Soviet times. This opportunity was impossible for most of musicians in Soviet time.
It was almost impossible to get the tickets to his concerts. The concert halls were always full. Once I just heard a rumor, that Richter would give one of his "non-official" concerts in the College of Music of Merzlyakov's Concert Hall. I went there immediately. I was lucky to attend this concert. He played Paul Hindemith's "Ludus Tonalis".
I had to pretend, that I was a reporter for the Moscow conservatory newspaper and I was allowed to enter his artistic room. He was sitting there with a young pianist Milstein. He asked me:
- Who are you?
I told him:
- I am a reporter of Moscow conservatory newspaper.
Then I was quite. I couldn't speak, because genius was in front of me, and he spoke to me!..
Then he told me:
- So, ask your questions, please! - he tried to encourage me to speak to him.
But I couldn't tell a word, I was completely magnetized by his presence.
Then about ten more students entered his artistic room. They all wanted to listen to his performance. There was not enough oxygen in the room, and Richter asked someone to open a window. But then he told to stop, because he was afraid to catch a cold. I think he had some problems with his heart. He invited us to the Concert Hall. We went to seat down at the stage of the Concert Hall, seating behind the concert piano. The rest of the audience was seating in a Concert Hall, but nobody cared, that we are at the stage. Everyone was just happy, that we all got into his concert. Richter went through the life corridor, looking at us with the eyes of the person, who looked amazed into our eyes, like asking us in his mind:
- Do you really like me as a pianist?...
source: facebook