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And Sviatoslav Richter was a genius, a giant, a universal musical mind, free of idiosyncrasies, fashionable styles or cheap tricks; he represents music making of the highest order.

Richter’s Beethoven, is strong and passionate, yet sober and purist, never exaggerated, getting straight to the deeper meaning of the music. The highlights from this selection of Beethoven piano sonatas are the last three sonatas Opp. 109-110-111, one the best of his many recordings of these eternal works. Awarded with a Diapason d’Or in France.

Did Richter give more concerts than any other pianist of the 20th century? It’s certainly possible. He shunned the high life and lights to set up a festival in a barn in southwest France; to drag himself across the plains and mountains of Soviet Russia, playing Hindemith and more to audiences who likely had never even heard a piano – as well as getting in six hours of practice.

Such was his appetite for making music, and his scorn for the merry-go-round of record companies and ritzy recitals. This release focuses on his mastery of Beethoven: strong and determined, as you’d expect from a pianist who was always his own harshest critic, and capable of thundering heights of eloquence, but more often bringing out Beethoven the quixotic poet in, say, the questing opening movement of Op.110 or the mysterious Arietta which concludes the composer’s cycle of 32 sonatas. A complementary recording of the Third Concerto is made with Kurt Sanderling, one of the most durable and understanding of his conducting partners.

Maria Yudina was one of the greatest pianists of 20th century Russia. Uncompromising, sometimes ruthless playing characterised this enigmatic pianist, a sufferer of the Soviet regime. Sviatoslav Richter once asked her: “Why do you play this Bach prelude so loud?” her answer: “Because there is a war on!” The selection on this 3-CD set includes works by her beloved Bach, her magnificent Beethoven (Opus 111!), Liszt, and wonderfully tender Brahms Intermezzi.

One of the few artists openly opposed to the Soviet leadership, Maria Yudina today ranks among the greatest musicians of her age. A phenomenal pianist who is particularly remembered for the virtuosity, spirituality and intellectual rigour of her playing, she prized Bach above all, as did all the Great Russian pianists of her day, but ventured far forward into the music of her own time, and was friends with many dissident artists and composers.

Stalin famously had a soft spot for her Mozart playing; it is thought that this is what prevented her and her troublesome opinions from being dragged off to the gulag. But here we have the ‘Three Bs’: the central-German repertoire to which Yudina always returned and had so much to contribute in the way of iron-fingered discipline over matters of tempo and phrasing and yet an unquenched search for the matter behind the music.The set takes its cue from a thrilling, unyielding Chromatic Fantasy and concludes with some artless yet heartfelt encores of Schubert. In an age of hype, there will always be room for Maria Yudina.

A selection from the 10-CD set issued on Brilliant Classics, featuring one of the most remarkable piano trios in history: the Oistrakh Trio, with David Oistrakh, Sviatoslav Knushevitsky and Lev Oborin. Three Russian souls pour out their hearts in these piano trios by Russian composers, the great Tchaikovsky trio and other masterworks in the genre:Taneyev, Rimsky-Korsakov, Rachmaninoff, Glinka and Shebalin. The 10CD set of the Oistrakh Trio received a prestigious Diapason d’Or in France (BC9101). Spanning three CDs and providing hours of fascinating listening, this compilation surveys an important facet of the Russian school through detailing one of the lesserknown areas of its output: piano trios. The compilation begins with Tchaikovsky’s famous A minor Trio Op.50, a work that effectively initiated the in memoriam trio and which pays homage to the late death of the composer’s friend Rubinstein through its virtuoso pianism.

From Glinka’s offering, a terse and cyclic piece that draws on the Italian cantilena and displays elements of the Weberesque leitmotif, to Rimsky- Korsakov’s C minor Trio – a rarity among the composer’s mature works – the set also details Taneyev’s symphonically-scaled Trio in D Op.22, modelled on Tchaikovsky’s work and which recalls elements of the master’s style through its use of eleven variations. Rachmaninoff's Trio élégiaque No.2 follows, written in response to the death of Tchaikovsky, and Shebalin’s work, composed 1907, completes the set. All of these works are performed the acclaimed Oistrakh trio, which for nearly a quarter of a century was the elite ensemble of its kind in the USSR.

Though the recordings were made during 1948–57, the raw energy and authority of the group’s playing remain as strong as ever: a valuable set that comprises a worthy addition to the historic collector’s and piano aficionado’s library.

A more authentic Shostakovich is difficult to imagine: for many years the Great Russian conductor Gennady Rozhdestvensky was in the circle of the composer, Dmitri Shostakovich, discussing and performing his works with him, and gaining insight in the multi-layered meanings of the symphonies, masterworks of the 20th century.

Included are the great symphonies 7 'Leningrad', 9 & 10, the vocal cycle “Michelangelo Suite” (with the legendary bass Evgeny Nesterenko) and the Ballet Suite The Bolt. A release of historic importance. Born in Moscow on 4 May 1931, Gennady Rozhdestvensky stands as one of the Russia’s greatest conductors. Having studied at the city’s conservatoire, he later became associated with orchestras including the Bolshoi and Western ensembles such as the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic. He was a regular frequenter of the Proms, a man with an extensive, complex discography who was as much at home in the opera and ballet as in the symphony and concerto. Here the maestro conducts an all-Shostakovich programme, beginning with the towering ‘Leningrad’ symphony.

Dedicated to Russia’s struggle against fascism, to the composer’s native city, this programmatic work – charged with the sinister events of 1941 – is followed by the lesser-known Symphony No.9 – music that presents an immediate contrast to the first through its airy, serene mood. The Suites on Verses of Michelangelo Buonarroti Op.145a form the centrepiece of compilation; taking eight sonnets and three poems as its basis, this highly philosophical piece – which deals with themes such as anger over injustice in the world – precedes the monumental Tenth Symphony, as much a portrait of Stalin as a conveying of human feelings and passions. Another suite – The Bolt, based on the ballet composed between 1930 and 1931 – completes the line-up. Based on live recordings that were made between 1968 and 1982, this compilation contains arresting performances from both the USSR State Radio and TV Symphony Orchestra and the USSR Ministry of Culture Symphony Orchestra. Rozhdestvensky was an authority on Shostakovich, and the set shows it: a worthy addition to Brilliant Classics’ Russian Archives series.

A former child prodigy who had already made his concerto debut by the age of 10, Russian pianist Evgeny Kissin is one of today’s most celebrated musicians. The maestro is particularly renowned for his interpretation of the Romantic literature, and in this fantastic compilation we are treated to some of his finest recordings within the genre – recordings which, spanning three CDs, centre around two giants of the piano world, Frédéric Chopin and Franz Liszt. The survey begins with a live performance of Chopin’s two piano concertos, taken from the legendary 1984 Moscow concert that catapulted the 12-year-old genius to international fame.

We then move on to some of the Polish composer’s best-loved and most demanding repertoire for solo piano; as well as featuring a selection of dance miniatures in the form of mazurkas and waltzes, the set also presents three affecting nocturnes, not to mention Chopin’s final piano sonata – a lengthy work whose performance lasts over 25 minutes – and the magnificent Fantaisie in F minor Op.49. Running the full gamut of emotions, from exuberance to extreme sorrow, Kissin’s recital draws to a spectacular close with a series of show-stopping numbers by Liszt – including the highly popular Liebestraum No.3 in A flat and the fiercely virtuosic Rhapsodie Espagnole. There’s everything to delight the Romantic connoisseur and piano aficionado alike in this superb collection, full of style and based on a series of recordings that capture the early Kissin in his teenage years.

One of the 20th century’s great interpreters, Evgeny Svetlanov initially trained as a pianistcomposer before being appointed principal conductor of the Bolshoi Theatre Symphony Orchestra in 1962 and the USSR State Symphony Orchestra in 1965. The latter post was held for 35 years, a period which saw the ensemble become famed for its unique ‘Russian’ sound. Then, two years before his death in 2002, Svetlanov was sensationally fired from his position by the Minister of Culture. The reason? Too much time spent abroad and too little time spent in Moscow. Scratching the surface of an extraordinary number of recordings made by the conductor, this release is based on various live performances dating from between 1960 and 1983.

Svetlanov was particularly renowned for his commitment to the orchestral works of his homeland (a fact which makes his famous expulsion from one of the country’s top cultural positions even sadder), and the issue presents a feast in its compiling of such music; after hearing two of Borodin’s neglected symphonies, Nos. 1 and 3,we are introduced to several compositions by Glazunov before encountering the little-known figures of Dargomïzhsky and Balakirev. The collection then draws to a close with two of Rimsky- Korsakov’s least performed suites: assembled from their respective operas, The Snow Maiden and Pan Voyevoda were once national favourites. This 3CD set is not to be passed up. In combining Svetlanov’s championing of late-Romantic works with a highly individual school of playing, it offers a unique insight into the musical heritage of Russia and bursts with ineffable expression and shattering climaxes.A must-buy.

Rudolf Barshai’s influence as a conductor of Russian music is hard to overstate. Combining an inexhaustible work ethic with a commitment to perfecting every detail of a performance, he broke new ground with his studied interpretations.

His recordings – particularly of Russian music – were some of the 20th century’s most successful, met with both critical acclaim and widespread popularity; this collection celebrates his achievements, bringing together the best of Russian music from the 19th and 20th centuries. At the heart of the collection are Barshai’s own arrangements of music by Shostakovich and Prokofiev – his orchestrations of Shostakovich’s 10th String Quartet (heard here as the Chamber Symphony Op.118a) and Prokofiev’s Visions fugitives, originally for piano, display a deep and intuitive understanding of orchestral balance and colour. Also included are Shostakovich’s inventive Symphony No.14 and movements from his intricate Op.87 cycle of Preludes and Fugues, as well as Weinberg’s Second Sinfonietta, written specifically for Barshai, and Lokshin’s mysterious Symphony No.7.

Barshai is heard here conducting the orchestra that he established – the Moscow Chamber Orchestra, which Shostakovich described as ‘the greatest chamber orchestra in the world’. Also featuring performances by Galina Vishnevskaya and Mark Reshetin, this 3-disc collection presents first-class recordings and performances in a set of impressive value.

Famed for his colossal stature and rigorous rehearsal methods, Evgeny Mravinsky is generally considered to be the greatest of all Soviet conductors. The maestro was appointed chief of the elite Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra in 1938 – a post lasting 50 years and which gave rise to a truly remarkable partnership, as evident in this three-disc set. Beginning with a whistle-stop tour of Tchaikovsky’s best-known orchestral works, the compilation embarks on a series of monumental readings – striking for their cleansing of tempo and refusal to hyperdramatise. Mravinsky’s interpretation of this composer’s music was a revelation to Western ears at the time, and the combination of energy and precision that he dedicates to compositions such as the Nutcracker Suite and Symphony No.5 is to be found across the entire collection. From Rimsky-Korsakov’s dazzling Tale of the Invisible City of Kitezh Suite to Glinka’s brilliant Ruslan and Ludmilla overture, the set brims with atmospheric performances taken from live recordings spanning nearly two decades. It’s easy to hear why the Leningrad Philharmonic became known as the ‘best orchestra in Russia’ under Mravinsky’s command. Full of wonderfully sonorous playing, this release represents a small chapter of history in detailing one of music’s most fascinating relationships.

With a style recalling the grandeur and fieriness of Anton Rubenstein’s, Emil Gilels – born in the southern Ukrainian seaport of Odessa on 19 October 1916 – ranks among the foremost musicians of all time.The maestro was especially renowned for his wide-ranging repertoire, and in this excellent release listeners can enjoy a selection of works based on one particular area of his extensive library – great Russian masters of the piano repertoire. Gilels begins his recital with a disc entirely devoted to Prokofiev. Having detailed the composer’s First,Third and Eighth Sonatas as well as the famous set of miniatures known as Vision fugitives, he then moves on to a series of compositions that trace the compositional career of Scriabin – one of Russia’s most individual figures.

From the accessible nature of the Third Sonata to the Fourth’s departure from strict tonality and form, Gilels contrasts the work of an artist inspired by mysticism against that of a much lesser-known figure – Medtner – before turning to an early suite by Tchaikovsky. Here, in CD3, we are also introduced to the work of Glazunov, whose appealing Piano Sonata No.2 in E minor is complemented by some of Rachmaninov’s best-known works and transcriptions. Spanning over three decades of recording and featuring some of Gilels’ favourite works to perform, this comprehensive set offers a fascinating glimpse into a musician who was just as comfortable playing Bach as he was interpreting the modern masters of the keyboard. Full of refined yet powerful performances, it is a valuable addition to Brilliant Classics’ celebrated Russian Archives set.

Emil Gilels belongs to a select group of the greatest pianists of the 20th century. Born in Odessa in 1916, he began his studies at the age of 5, and gave his first public recital at the age of 13. Odessa and Moscow Conservatories followed, and unusually in 1936 he was allowed to perform outside the Soviet Union. His American debut was delayed by World War II, finally taking place in 1955 to great acclaim. His Uk debut took place in 1953. Gilels gave the premiere of Prokofiev’s 8th Sonata, of which he is the dedicatee.

Harold C Schonberg described Gilels as ‘a strong, clear player, rather objective in outlook, who did not allow himself to become emotionally overthrown by the music’: an approach which is ideally suited to Beethoven’s concertos as can be heard on these CDs.