There’s no denying that both these performances exude class. Neither could have come from artists of anything less than exalted rank. But I’m framing that praise in rather defensive terms, because I’m not sure how much enjoyment they actually offer.
Virtually ideal intonation, matching of timbres and solidity of tone are the hallmarks of the Borodin’s Death and the Maiden. Nor is it merely sleek and efficient, as the expressive urgency and sensitivity to dialogic exchanges testify. Yet I find little mystery here, not much searching or sense of wonder. The degree of projection is so consistently high it allows for little exploration of the inner recesses of the piece, and I feel reduced to the role of passive admirer of a flawless surface. Recording quality is outstanding: rich, yet clear and believable.
Any chance to hear Richter in the Schumann Quintet should be worth taking, and at the age of 79 his playing still had immense force of character. Or do I just mean force, full stop? The first movement marches defiantly against the Philistines, the second is stern and funereal, the Scherzo sounds unassailable in its rhythmic stability, and the finale again registers high on the Richter scale of determined insistence. The heavy and frequent accents make for a certain rigidity in the phrasing, but I managed to persuade myself that this was a symptom of passionate identification with the music. What I failed to cope with was the balance, which places the strings in the role of accompanist to a piano concerto. If it really sounded like that, then I fear Richter was simply at fault; and I speak as one who often craves more immediacy for the piano in chamber music recordings.
Though the Schumann is advertised as live, two dates for the recording are given, and the absence of applause and split notes suggests patching.'