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(Святосла́в Теофи́лович Ри́хтер) ( March 20, 1915 - August 1, 1997) was a Russian pianist of German extraction.

Although born in Zhitomir in Ukraine, Richter grew up in Odessa. Unusually, Richter was largely self-taught. Although his organist father provided him with a basic education in music, Sviatoslav learned simply by playing the masterworks of the repertoire, including the piano scores of Wagner's music dramas. He gave his first recital in 1934 but did not formally study piano until three years later, when he enrolled in the Moscow Conservatory, which waived the entrance exam for the young prodigy. He studied with Heinrich Neuhaus who also taught Emil Gilels, and who claimed Richter to be "the genius pupil, for whom he had been waiting all his life". In 1940, while still a student, he gave the world premiere of the SonataSonata (From Latin and Italian sonare 'to sound'), in music, literally means a piece "played" as opposed to cantata (Latin cantare to sing), a piece sung. The term, being vague, naturally evolved through the history of music, designating a variety of form No. 6 by Sergei ProkofievSergei Sergeevich Prokofiev ( April 23, 1891 March 5, 1953) was a Ukrainian composer. Biography Early years Prokofiev was born in Sontsovka (now the village of Krasne in Donetsk oblast), Ukraine, as an only child. His mother was a pianist and his father a, a composerA composer is a person who writes music. The term refers particularly to someone who writes music in some type of musical notation, thus allowing others to perform the music. This distinguishes the composer from a musician who improvises. However, a perso with whose works he was ever after associated. He also became known for skipping compulsory lessons at the conservatory and being expelled twice in his first year.

The West first became aware of Richter through recordings made in the 1950s. He was not allowed to tour the United StatesThe United States of America also referred to as the United States U. America ¹ or the States is a federal republic in central North America, stretching from the Atlantic in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west. It shares land borders with Canada in until 1960, but when he did, he created a sensation. Touring, however, was not Richter's forte. He preferred an intimate concert venue, and in later years took to playing in small, darkened halls, sometimes with only a small lamp lighting his piano. He died in MoscowMoscow ( Russian: Moskva capital of Russia, located on the river Moskva, and encompassing 878. The city's population is rapidly increasing, with 11. 2 million inhabitants counted in 2004. The city is in the federal district called Central Russia (which is while studying for a concert series he was to give.

His repertoire spanned virtually all the major works of the piano repertoire. Among his noted recordings are works by SchubertFranz Peter Schubert ( January 31, 1797 November 19, 1828), was an Austrian composer. He wrote some six hundred romantic songs as well as operas, symphonies, sonatas and many other works. Public appreciation of his work during his lifetime was limited; he, BeethovenLudwig van Beethoven (baptized December 17, 1770 d. March 26, 1827) was a German composer, the predominant musical figure in the transitional period between the Classical and Romantic eras. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest composers of all tim, BachJohann Sebastian Bach ( March 21, 1685 July 28, 1750) was a German composer and organist of the Baroque period, and is almost universally regarded as one of the greatest composers of all time. His works, noted for their intellectual depth, technical comma (whose Wohltemperierte Klavier he is said to have learned by heart in one month), Chopin, Liszt, Prokofiev, Rachmaninoff and countless others. He gave the premiere of Prokofiev's 7th sonata (which he learned in just four days before staging a performance of the work) and Prokofiev dedicated his 9th sonata to him. Apart from playing solo he also enjoyed playing chamber music with partners such as David Oistrakh, Benjamin Britten, Pierre Fournier and Mstislav Rostropovich. Sviatoslav Richter can be said to be one of the most legendary, fascinating pianists of the 20th century.