BaL 15.12.12 - Prokofiev's Piano Sonata No 8

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

9.05 Building a Library: David Fanning with a personal recommendation for Prokofiev's Piano Sonata No 8 in B flat major

Available versions:-

Dmitri Bashkirov
Boris Berman
Severin von Eckardstein
Sergio Fiorentino
Boris Giltburg
Emil Gilels (Olympia)
Bernd Glemser
Steven De Groot
Francois-Frederic Guy
Ivo Janssen
Yakov Kasman
Alexander Korsantia
Denis Kozhukhin
Gesa Lucker
Anne-Marie McDermott
Oleg Marshev
Alexeï Nabioulin
Matti Raekallio
Sviatoslav Richter DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON 4778122 (9CD budget and download) Also available as a download on DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON 4497442
Sviatoslav Richter (5 other versions)
Gyorgy Sandor
Grigory Sokolov
Amir Tebenikhin

[visualnickmos]

Richter on "Russia discc" or whatever that Russian series was called from the 90s......

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

This BaL could well end up like Davis v. Davis in Les Troyens.

Except that it will be Richter v. Richter v. Richter v. Richter v. Richter v. Richter.

[verismissimo]

This BaL could well end up like Davis v. Davis in Les Troyens.

Except that it will be Richter v. Richter v. Richter v. Richter v. Richter v. Richter.

He could be hard to get past, Eine.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

He obviously rates the work extremely highly.

[verismissimo]

I seem to have two: Richter on DG from 1962, which I've never much warmed to, and Lazar Berman in a Brilliant box. It's from a live recording, presumably on Russian radio, and seems to me more alive in every way.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Don't forget that (according to the Schedule) this BaL starts at 9.05 a.m.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

So DG Richter it is.

[BBMmk2]

I had a canny feeeling it be that would happen, somehow. I will bve buying this!

[visualnickmos]

So DG Richter it is.

I have Richter (rec. 17 April 1961) on the Russian Revelation label no. RV 10094. Oddly, it doesn't give the recording location. A fine performance, for sure, as most of Richter's were. I think I'll just stick to one version of this piece; more would be good, but budget, budget, budget....! Besides which, I am more than happy with it.

Out of interest, does anyone know this recording and how does it compare with his (Richter's) other recordings of this piano masterpiece?

[Rolmill]

I have Yefim Bronfman in a 3 CD complete set on Sony's Essential Classics label - is that nla? Shame if so, as I like the set a lot - generally clear, alert, powerful but sensitive performances in pretty good recordings. Haven't listened to no.8 for a while, though, so can't comment on that particularly. I also have Richter (DG 1962, I gather that was the library choice) and Sokolov (a pianist I rate very highly indeed).

[Nick Armstrong]

I caught up belatedly with this programme. I found it a revelation as the piece was one I didn't know at all. I thought it was a well-presented survey, some illuminating comparative extracts, and as with all the best BALs it revealed some qualities of an unknown work in a way which made me want to discover and hear more.

[amateur51]

I caught up belatedly with this programme. I found it a revelation as the piece was one I didn't know at all. I thought it was a well-presented survey, some illuminating comparative extracts, and as with all the best BALs it revealed some qualities of an unknown work in a way which made me want to discover and hear more.

Agreed

[antongould]

I caught up belatedly with this programme. I found it a revelation as the piece was one I didn't know at all. I thought it was a well-presented survey, some illuminating comparative extracts, and as with all the best BALs it revealed some qualities of an unknown work in a way which made me want to discover and hear more.

I also agree with M'Learned which is more than a bit scary......

[Nick Armstrong]

I also agree with M'Learned which is more than a bit scary......

Come come, when have we not been in perfect accord?