Sviatoslav Richter - Chopin - Etude

Richter was admired by many, including the late Glenn Gould, as "one of the most powerful musical communicators of our time", and rightly so. Here, from the film 'Richter: The Enigma', he plays Chopin's Etude No. 4, Op. 10 - a piece he became known for after he set a record for the fastest performance of it, in London, at a time of 1:32. [In this clip he's a tad on the slower side, clocking in at about 1:35... ;)] Some criticize him for the speed at which he often plays, feeling it detracts from the lyricism of the music. But to all but the least discriminating ear, Richter possesses both amazing technical and artistic abilities; even here, at this speed, his tone is clear,the integrity of the phrasing is preserved, and his passion is palpable. A true masterpiece.