Richter's mastery in Beethoven's late sonatas is absolutely mesmerizing. No matter how many times one listens, every performance sounds newly and distinctively fresh, urgently communicated, and profoundly meaningful. It is as if Richter has entered into the tragic yet unflaggingly heroic despair of Beethoven's deafness, and recreates for us the great composer's questing inner journeys through the cosmos, searching for the affirmation of his transcendent art, and thus of the ultimate value of human life itself. Thanks again for sharing the incomparable artistry of this truly great pianist.

Beethoven´s sonata 31 is beautiful and intimate. It is like rediscovering forgetting feelings!!!

Richter is 50 years old here and would continue performing for another 30 years. What a special gift God gave us in Richter--and Richter gave us over so many years!

This is really stunning. Having listened to Richter's 1993 version many times, and found it to be an interesting documentation of his late playing style, I was unprepared for the wonderfully profound insight and poetry of this performance, the beauty of his tone the complete command and integration of overall structure and detail. I think this is both one of the greatest examples of Richter's art and of any recording of op 110.

Richter never betrays any listener's expectations. Perfect live performance of this perfectly composed masterpiece!

Second movement is beyond the words, i just wanna cry while i listen, particularly second movement

Several of the commenters have brought up the second movement. They are trying to say that Richter plays it too slow. But if you know the music as well as Richter does, then you have other options. Some of us refer to this as the artist's privilege but there is an understanding that if the artist decides to alter the commonly expected tempo, that the reason for the choice would be evident and I believe that the way Richter plays the trio section is the implied reason. Because he has chosen a slower tempo, this trio section literally has more space between the notes so instead of the usual splash of notes, one has some idea of the structure of the trio as it has more than usual time to sound and resonate. So I think Richter's slower tempo makes sense. He does even better with the third movement. Best

Aside from the 9th Symphony, this is my favorite piece of music. And wonderfully played here.

grazie!!!! grazie

IMPECCABLE!

God, give me such power, just once and I will die a happy man.

What a beauty,

Magnifique interprétation, chaque note est habitée, portée, vibrante, sans pathos mais avec une grande profondeur. La musique respire, avance, avec naturel, cela chante, cela pleure aussi. L'une des plus belles versions de cette sublime sonate op.110, qui tient vraiment de la confession intime, celle d'un Beethoven vieillissant, malade et confronté à de multiples problèmes. Les dernières mesures de la coda finale, après cette douleur incommensurable de l'Adagio, sonnent comme une sorte de transfiguration. Beethoven est une leçon de vie et de courage pour nous tous.

10:17 (Arioso) What beauty…

takes you out of your head, out of your very organs, into the stratosphere

Quelle beauté...

Belo concerto

Unbelievable.

grazie Slava!!!!!!

zó mooi !

If only he could’ve recorded this in an era where a standard breakfast wasn’t a pack of Marlboros. I don’t recall there being too many coughs in Beethoven’s original Op. 110 score

ЭТАЛОН. ВЕЛИКИЙ РИХТЕР.

And do we know when / where the photo was taken?

I am asked to make a few music suggestions for a 5-year-old. His favourite composers are Bach, Haydn, and Beethoven and he hasn't had any music lessons (yet). What would you recommend, incontrario motu? This piece seems to me too long for him, and too advanced, although it wouldn't do harm, surely.

Is it tribute to Neuhaus?

What's this tempo for the Scherzo? Beethoven's indication is Allegro Molto!!!

one viewer? what planet is this????

15:22

Funny slowish tempo in the second movement

🤍

f a b u l o u s !!!

I find this too heavy .... for example, at 5:24, Beethoven orders a pianissimo, where is it ? Only a random mezzopiano.... betrayal