Sviatoslav Richter
Russian pianist Sviatoslav Richter (1915-1997), like Vladimir Horowitz, was a closeted gay man who had a life-long female companion. Richter was a Soviet sponsored cultural ambassador who had everything to lose if his sexual nature reached the public eye. Consequently, biographers ignore or gloss over anything about his personal relationships. However, we are left with a towering musical legacy, especially through recordings and videotaped performances. Most critics agree that Richter was one of the greatest pianists of all time.
Back in the days when your blogger was a university piano performance major, I knew nothing about Richter’s personal proclivities, but most of my fellow students repeated the rampant (and true) gay rumors about Horowitz and Shura Cherkassky, another Russian keyboard titan.
Richter, who was stunningly handsome as a young man, suffered from many personal demons. He was withdrawn and not given to interviews, and often he insisted on performing in completely darkened halls illuminated by a single light bulb above the keyboard. Subject to periods of keen depression, he went through a period during which he had to travel with a plastic lobster in order to cope with the rigors of constant performing to unrealistic public expectations. I’m not making this up.
Nevertheless, Richter left us with recordings that remain benchmarks of certain repertoire. His vast repertoire encompassed eighty-odd recital programs, everything from Bach and Handel to Gershwin. He was also a quick study. He learned Prokofiev's Sonata No. 7, which was dedicated to him, in four days, thus able to meet the deadline for its premiere.
But enough words. Let’s listen to his music while we marvel at his astonishing technique.
Probably jealous of Richter's success in the US, the novelist Vladimir Nabokov described him as "a flaming fag."
ReplyDeleteamideg, check your facts - it was Nicolas Nabokov who said that; not Vladimir.
DeleteRichter and Gilels were two towering giants of the piano world.
ReplyDeletedo not forget, please, Rachmaninov, Siloti, Horowitz.
DeleteRichter was one of the greatest of 20th century pianists. His Rachmaninoff 2nd is the best I know, although I like Ivan Davis for second place.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was first at Juilliard, Bobby deGaetano was also, maybe 4 years older (he died 4 years ago, I was totally shocked when I only found out a few months ago.) He was a great beauty at the time, and Richter obviously fell in love with him. Even on television, you would see Bobby turning pages for him, and he travelled with him for a time. I heard him at Carnegie once, and should have heard him more. I like that you put photos of him as a young man; he probably saw in Bobby some of his own youthful beauty, although Bobby was the far sexier and more voluptuous (and not 1% the musician.)
Back in the 80s/90s when I was hanging out at the public library I used to listen to an L.P. of a live Richter performance where he played Debussy's "Claire De Lune." The liner notes quoted a reviewer as saying there were probably people in the audience who didn't want to hear the piece again. After Richter played it they may have asked if they'd ever really heard it before! Wonderful article! Thanks for posting!
ReplyDeleteThank you for this thoughtful post.
ReplyDeleteI have to ask: a "plastic lobster" to cope with depression????
ReplyDeleteYes indeed. And it was pink.
DeleteRichter wrote these sentences, quoted in the NYT in June, 2019:
“I’ve known periods of chronic depression, the most serious of which was in 1974. It was impossible for me to live without a plastic lobster that I took with me everywhere, leaving it behind only at the very moment I went on stage.”
A waste of time. Why would anyone take his time to write this? If he is a gay man he is a gay man! Who cares! He was the greates pianist of all time after Rach himself.
ReplyDeleteFrom your blogger: I took the time to write this because Richter was a gay pianist whose career can be an inspiration to younger gay folks. I wish readers who write such comments would read the descriptive paragraph just below the title of this blog.
DeleteI think it is very important that we know his sexual identity, to understand this incredible human being.
ReplyDeleteIf you watch the documentary,at the end, he says "I don't like myself."
Terry: It is the ninth Prokofiev sonata that's dedicated to Richter, not the seventh. But it's true that Slava learned the seventh sonata in just four days.
ReplyDelete