People's Artist of the RSFSR (1955).
People's Artist of the USSR (1961).
Hero of Socialist Labor (1975).

7 (20) of March 1915 was born in Zhytomyr, in the family of musicians.
His father was organic and taught in the city music school. The primary music education received at the Father, but it reached much (in particular, he learned the orchestral scores in childhood).
Debuted as a soloist in Odessa February 19, 1934, fulfilling a number of difficult plays from Chopin; For some time she worked as a concertmaster of the Odessa Opera and Ballet Theater.
Since 1937, he began to study in Moscow at Professor of the Moscow Conservatory G.G. Nehigauz (was enrolled in a conservatory without exams; Diploma received in 1947).
Being still a student (1940), Richter made his debut in Moscow, having imprisoned the premiere of Prokofiev's premiere, and the author was so satisfied that in two years he commissioned the premiere of his seventh sonata to the premiere (later Richter became the first performer of the eighth and ninth Sonat .
In 1945, he took part in the All-Union Competition of the Musicians-performers, received the first premium; In 1949 he became a laureate of the Stalinist Prize. Since 1945, he began to speak, except for solo concerts, in the ensemble with the singer Nina Lviv Dorlyak (1908-1998), which became his constant musical partner and a satellite of life.

Richter's speeches enjoyed great success (Nehigauses directly called his student "genius"; D.D. Shostakovich spoke of him as an "extraordinary phenomenon" - among other things, the pianist had a "photographic memory", instantly learned new works and perfectly read from the leaf orchestral PARTIES, including just created). In 1960, Richter spoke with concerts in Helsinki, Chicago and New York, and soon became extremely popular in the West. However, the pianist was not inclined to lead the life of a wandering virtuoso: an unusually serious and deep musician, Richter preferred a constant work on improving his skill and expansion of the repertoire.

In 1964, Richter, with the support of the EMI record company, founded the annual summer festival in the tour near the French city of Tura, in which he regularly participated. In 1989, with the patronage and participation of Richter in the Moscow Museum of Fine Arts named after A.S. Pushkin began to be held the festival "December evenings", in which the musician's dream was carried out about the synthesis of arts: Richter was enthusiastically engaged in watercolor, it was fine in painting and collected it. He took and experienced the performance as a conductor, but subsequently did not continue him.

During his life, Richter toured a lot in different countries of the world, but the most interesting tour was considered a huge concert trip across Russia in 1986, when he traveling by train from Moscow to Vladivostok, gave concerts on the way, including in small cities. Richter's last concert played in Lübeck (Germany) in March 1995. In the last years of his life, he gave a number of interviews to the French musician and KinoDocumerist Bruno Montsendzhon, which was based on the film Richter: L "Insoumis (in Russian translation of the revocated Richter), where for the first time with great frankness spoke about deep experiences, which accompanied his creative path in conditions Soviet regime, about your worldview, about relations with different musicians.

The repertoire of the pianist was huge. The center was classic, primarily Beethoven, Schubert, Schuman, Brahms; He played a lot of Scriabin, Stravinsky, Prokofiev, Shostakovich. Throughout his life, the musician has been to ensemble performer, speaking together with the largest contemporary musicians, Russian and foreign (in particular, with D.F. Sustrach and M.L. Rostropovich, and from the 1970s - with the young then O. M. Kaganan, N.T. Gutman, G.M. Kremer, etc.). The pianistic style of Richter can be generally characterized as a powerful, courageous, highly concentrated, alien external shine; Whenever his manner corresponded to the style of music performed by him. He did a lot of records, and the best of them are records directly from concerts.

prizes and awards

3rd All-Union Competition of Artist Musicians (1st Prize, 1945)
Stalin Prize (1950)
Lenin Prize (1961)
State Prize of the RSFSR named after M. I. Glinka (1987) - for the 1986 concert programs, performed in the cities of Siberia and the Far East
State Prize of the Russian Federation (1996)
Order "For merit to the Fatherland" III degree (1995)
Three Order of Lenin (1965, 1975, 1985)
Order of the October Revolution (1980)
Cavalier of the Ordena of Arts and Literature (France, 1985)
Prize "Grammy" (1960)
Prize Robert Shuman (1968)
Leoni Sonning Prize (1986)
Prize Franco Abbiani (1986)
Prize "Triumph" (1993)
Honorary Dr. Oxford University (1992)
Honorary Dr. Strasbourg University (1977)
Honorary citizen of the city of Tarusa (Kaluga region) (1994)
Valid member of the Academy of Creativity (Moscow)
Golden sign of the Order of Merit to the Polish People's Republic (Poland, 1983)
Big Cross with a star and shoulder ribbon Order "For Merit to the Federal Republic of Germany" (Germany, 1995)
Order of the People and Friendship of Peoples (VNI, 1985)
Golden Disc prize of the company "Melody" - for recording a concert for piano with orchestra No. 1 P. I. Tchaikovsky

Richter Svyatoslav Theofilovich is an outstanding pianist of the 20th century, a virtuoso. He had a huge repertoire. S. Richter founded a charity foundation. He also organized several musical festivals.

Biography

Svyatoslav Richter, whose biography is presented in this article, was born in 1915 in Zhytomyr. His childhood and youth passed in Odessa. His first teacher was a father - a pianist and an organist who studied music in Vienna. In 19 years, S. Richter gave his first concert. At 22, he entered the Moscow Conservatory. In 1945, he became the winner of the All-Union Competition of Musicians. For a long time, the authorities did not produce Richter abroad on tour. His first ride took place in 1960. Then he spoke in the USA and Finland. In subsequent years, he gave concerts in France, Great Britain, Austria and Italy.

Svyatoslav Richter was the founder of several musical festivals and charitable foundation. During the war, he lived in Moscow, and his parents were in the occupation in Odessa. Soon the Father was arrested and shot. Mother went to Germany, and S. Richter believed that she died. He did not see her 20 years. Recent years of life, the musician held in Paris. Shortly before death, he returned to Russia. The last concert of S. Richter took place on July 6, 1997. Pianist died on August 1, 1997. The cause of death is a heart attack. He was buried in Moscow, at the Novodevichy Cemetery.

Creative way

Svyatoslav Richter in 1930 worked in a sailor's house in Odessa with a concertmaster. Then he moved to the philharmonic. Since 1934 served in the Opera House. In 1937, Svyatoslav Richter entered the Moscow Conservatory. But soon the pianist was expelled. After a while he continued his studies. He graduated from Conservatory S. Richter in 1947. Fame Musician received in the postwar years. In 1952, Svyatoslav Theofilovich in the first and last time in his life came to the scene as a conductor. In the 60s, the pianist first left concerts abroad. Svyatoslav Richter first of the Soviet performers was awarded the Grammy Prize. He gave 70 concerts per year. At the end of his life, he often sick, but continued to perform, although he often canceled concerts on the state of health.

"December evenings"

"December evenings" Svyatoslav Richter is a musical festival founded by a great pianist. For the first time he was held in 1981. The festival is a cycle of concerts where music sounds and are shown selected by her painting. Thus, a close relationship with each other of various types of art is shown. Over the years of the festival, about 500 concerts were organized as part of its holding, in which outstanding musicians, poets, artists, actors, directories took part.

Repertoire

• I. S. Bach.
• J. Haydn.
• M. Ravel.
• F. Sheet.
• P. I. Tchaikovsky.
• M. Balakirev.
• L. Kerubini.
• M. Falilla.
• B. Britten.
• F. Chopin.
• F-b. Emerlen.
• A. Copland.
• A. Alyabyev.
• A. Berg.
• D. Gershvin.
• N. Mentener.
• L. Delib.
• G. Wolf.
• K. Shimanovsky.
• E. Schoson.
• S. Taneyev.
• L. Yanachek.
• F. Pulenk et al.

While the repertoire was very wide and versatile, very little was recorded in the studio Svyatoslav Richter. Pianist albums are listed below:

• "Concert No. 1 si Barol Minor" for piano with orchestra P. I. Tchaikovsky. With the participation of Karaian (1981).
• "Well Temper Clavier" I. S. Baha - 1 part (1971).
• "Well Temper Clavier" I. S. Baha - 2 part (1973).

Foundation S. Richter

In the 90s, the 20th century founded the Fund of Svyatoslav Richter. His activity is aimed at conducting various cultural events in the province. First of all, these are festivals of classical music. It all started with the fact that S. Richtera came to mind the idea of \u200b\u200bcreating a school of creativity, where they could do, as well as resting young artists and musicians. He dreamed of opening such an institution in Tarusa, where his cottage was. To carry out his dreams needed money. Then the thought of the theophilovich came to Svyatoslav to hold annual festivals for artists and musicians, where he would participate, as well as his creative friends. Revenues through such events revenue and planned to use to open school. Friends and colleagues of the musician - Galina Pisarenko, Natalia Gutman, Elizabeth Leonskaya and many others - supported his idea. Thus, the Fund of S. Richter was founded. The pianist himself became his president. The ownership of the Foundation Svyatoslav Theofilovich passed its cottage. The activities of the Foundation began with a concert of S. Richter. He took place on December 1, 1992.

Richter-artist

Richter Svyatoslav Teoflovich was fond of not only music. He collected a collection of paintings, as well as drawings created by people who were close to him: K. Magalashvili, A. Trojanovskaya, V. Shuhayeva, D. Krasnophetseva. From foreign artists in his collections were paintings P. Picasso ("Pigeon" with a donating inscription from the most painter), H. Hartung, H. Miro and A. Kerder. Anna Trojanovskaya was a big pianist friend, she studied to write pastels. In her opinion, Svyatoslav Richter possessed an excellent feeling of color and tone, the concept of space, imagination and phenomenal memory.

The works of Svyatoslav theophilovich, which are stored in the museum:

• "Moscow".
• "Nanny".
• "Moon. China".
• Blue Danube.
• "Old cottage."
• "Ninchochka with Mitka on Rzhevsky."
• "Night and roofs."
• "In the south of Armenia."
• "By the church."
• "Pavino".
• "Twilight in the tabletry".
• "Church in Perception."
• "Winter storm".
• "Aerostat is carried."
• "Yerevan".
• "Mourning".
• "Spring bad weather."
• "Street in Beijing."

Awards and titles

Svyatoslav Richter is a pianist who was rightfully awarded a large number of rewards and ranks. He is an honorary tour citizen. He received the title and then the RSFSR. He was awarded the Lenin and Stalin Prize. The pianist was an honorary doctor of Strasbourg and Oxford Universities. S. Richtera was awarded the Order of the "October Revolution", "For merits to the Fatherland". The musician also received awards: Leoni Sonning, named after M. I. Glinka, R. Shuman, F. Abbyati, "Truhumif" and "Grammy". Svyatoslav Teoflovich - Kavaler of the Order of Arts and Literature (France), Hero of Socialist Labor and Member of the Academy of Creativity in Moscow. And this is not a complete list of ranks and awards.

Nina Dorliak

In 1943, Svyatoslav Richter met his future wife. Personal life of the musician, despite the presence of spouses, has always been surrounded by rumors about his homosexuality. Svyatoslav Theofilovich himself did not comment on gossip and preferred a personal life not to turn into public the public. Spouse S. Richter was Nina Dorlyak - Opera Soprano, People's Artist of the USSR and RSFSR. Nina Lvovna often performed in the ensemble with Svyatoslav Richter. Soon she became his wife. After I left the scene, I began to teach. From 1947 was a professor of the Moscow Conservatory. Nina Lvovna died less than a year after her husband Richter Svyatoslav died. Children, family, friends and all other joys of life, according to the musician, were not for him, he believed that he had to devote himself to art. Although his spouse still appeared, and he lived with her 50 years old, but they had no children. Yes, and their marriage was unusual. Spouses called each other on you, and everyone had their own room. The apartment in which they lived, Nina Lvivna, taught the museum of the visual arts named after A. S. Pushkin.

Museum-apartment

In 1999, in Moscow, in the apartment on the big armor, where Svyatoslav Richter lived, a museum was opened. Here are furniture, personal belongings, notes, paintings - everything that belonged to the Grand Pianist. There is no luxurious atmosphere in the apartment. The lifestyle and character of its owner are felt in everything. A large room that the pianist himself called the "hall" was used for rehearsals. Here is a favorite piano of the musician. Now the movies of films and listening to the opera are held in this room. In the office there are cabinets with notes, cassettes, concert costumes, plates and gifts from friends and fans. The secretrate is kept by the manuscript of S. Prokofiev - this is a ninth sonata written by him, which is dedicated to the Pianist. In the office - a large number of books, especially Svyatoslav Richter loved to read the classics: A. Pushkin, T. Manna, A. Bloka, A. Chekhov, M. Bulgakov, B. Pasternak, F. Dostoevsky, etc. Recreation room musician, Which he called "Green", turned into artistic in those days when S. Richter spoke with concerts. In addition to music, as we have already mentioned, the pianist was interested in painting. He was not only a connoisseur, but also by the artist. In a small room - a real exhibition of paintings. Here are pastels of Svyatoslav Richter, as well as the works of different painters. The pianist himself very often organized the opening seats in his house. The museum-apartment hosts excursions, which necessarily enters audio audio and watching video. In addition, there are evenings of music.

Memory of musician

In memory of an outstanding pianist in 2011 in the city of Zhytomyr, his name was established by the International Contest of Pianists. In several cities, the monuments of Richtera S. T. - in Yagotin (Ukraine) and in Bydgoszche (Poland). In Moscow, the name of Svyatoslav Richter is called the street.

Richter Svyatoslav Teoflovich

Richter Svyatoslav Teoflovich

The largest Soviet pianist of the twentieth century. A lot of this is written about this outstanding pianist. And on the Internet a huge amount of material about it. Copy material does not make sense. I propose only a brief overview. For a more complete idea of \u200b\u200bthe biography and the creative path of the pianist, I propose a selection of the most you liked the article about Richter found by me on the Internet. After following the links, reading the article, you can get the most complete picture of the pianist.

1. Biographical essay to the 100th anniversary of the birth of a pianist: S. Richter
2. Igor Igorzhev: "Unknown Richter"
3. Analysis of a creative biography: Tsypin Svyatoslav Richter (1990)
4. In 2012, the memoirs were published by the MEMUMA of the Piece of S. Richter Faith Prokhorova "Four Friend Against the Background of Century." Unfortunately, the book should not be purchased at the moment - there is no on sale in any online store (data for January 2017). And it is not in electronic form, because Reprint is prohibited by the copyright holder. But you can search in the bookstores of your city or leave a request in the online store to report books to the sale.

So, a brief biographical review: Svyatoslav Richter. People's Artist of the USSR (1961). Hero of Socialist Labor (1975). Laureate Leninsky (1961), Stalinist (1950) and state premiums of the RSFSR named after Glinka (1987) and Russia (1996). The first in the USSR owner of the Grammy Prize (1960).

Svyatoslav Richter was born in the family of a pianist, an organist and composer Theofila Danilovich Richter (1872-1941), the teacher of the Odessa Conservatory and the organist of the city church; Mother - Anna Pavlovna Moskaleva (1892-1963), according to Mother of the Republic of Rainka, from Russian nobles of German origin. During the civil war, the family was disconnected, Richter lived in the family of aunt Tamara Pavlovna, from which he inherited the love of painting, which became his first creative hobbies.

In 1922, the family moved to Odessa, where Richter began to learn the game on the piano and composition. Richter recalled that in childhood and in the youthful years, the Father, who was his first teacher and the game of which young Svyatoslav constantly listened to him. Some sources indicate that Richter was mainly self-taught, but it rather belongs to the fact that it did not undergo a standard course of piano, playing gamma, exercises and etudes. The first work that Svyatoslav began to play was a Nocturne F. Chopin. At this time, he also writes a few theatrical plays, interested in the Opera House and puts plans to become a conductor. From 1930 to 1932, Richter worked as a pianist-accotremister in the Odessa House of the Sailor, then in Odessa Philharmonic. The first solo concert of Richter, composed of the writings of Chopin, took place in 1934, soon he received the place of the accompanist in the Odessa Opera House.

His hopes become a conductor were not justified; In 1937, Richter entered the Moscow Conservatory in the class of Piano Henry Negauz, but in the fall, it was subdued from her (after refusing to study general educational items) and left back to Odessa. Soon, nevertheless, at the insistence of Negauz, Richter returned to Moscow and recovered in the conservatory, the diploma received only in 1947. The Moscow debut of the pianist took place on November 26, 1940, when in the Small Room of the Conservatory he performed the sixth sonata Sergey Prokofiev - for the first time after the author. A month later, Richter was the first time with the orchestra.

During the Great Patriotic Richter remains in Moscow. In August 1941, his father who lived in Odessa was arrested by the Soviet authorities on a false accusation of a betrayal of his homeland, and in October, even before the occupation of the city of the German army, shot. In 1962, rehabilitated .. Richter's mother after the liberation of the city from the occupation left the city along with the retreating German troops and settled in Germany. Richter himself for many years he considered her dead. During the war, Richter led an active concert activity, performed in Moscow, toured on other cities of the USSR, played in Blocade Leningrad. A number of new works, including the seventh piano Sonata Sergey Prokofiev, first sounded performed by Pianist.

Anna Ivanovna Trojanova (1885-1977) was a big friend and mentor of Richter (1885-1977), in her house in a tableclotum alley he was engaged in the famous piano of Mentera. In 1943, Richter first met with the singer Nina Dorlyak, who later became his wife. Richter and Dorlyak often performed in concerts together.

After the war, Richter got wider fame by defeating the third All-Union Competition of the executing musicians (the first prize was divided between him and Viktor Merzhanov), and became one of the leading Soviet pianists.

Richter concerts in the USSR and the Eastern Block countries were very popular, but in the West he was not allowed for many years. This was due to the fact that Richter supported friendly relations with obscenities of culture, among which were Boris Pasternak and Sergey Prokofiev. During the years of the secret ban on the execution of the music of the composer, the pianist often played his works, and in 1952, in the first and only once in his life, acted as a conductor, spending the premiere of a symphony concert for cello with the orchestra (solired Mstislav Rostropovich). Ninth Sonata Prokofiev is dedicated to Richtera and for the first time they are fulfilled.

Real sensation was the concerts of Richter in New York and other cities of America in 1960, which were followed by numerous records, many of which are still considered reference. In the same year, the musician awarded the Grammy Award (he became the first Soviet performer who was awarded this award) for the execution of the second piano concert of Brahms.

In 1952, Richter fulfilled the role of Ferenz Leaf in the film of Alexandrova "Composer Glinka".

In 1960-1980, Richter continued an active concert activity, giving more than seventy concerts per year. He toured a lot of different countries, preferring to play chamber rooms, not in large concert halls. In the studio, the pianist was recorded relatively small, but a large number of "living" records from concerts were preserved.

An unusually wide Repertoire of Richter covered essays from Baroque music to the composers of the 20th century, it often performed entire works cycles, such as "well-tempered key" Bach. A prominent place in his work was occupied by Widn, Schubert, Chopin, Shuman, Sheet and Prokofiev. The execution of Richter is characterized by technical perfection, a deeply individual approach to the work, a sense of time and style. It is considered one of the largest pianists of the 20th century.

Richter is the founder of a number of music festivals, including the annual summer festival. Musical festivals in the tour (held since 1964 in the room of the medieval barn in the vele near the tour, France), the famous "December evenings" at the Pushkin Museum (since 1981), in The framework of which he played with leading musicians of modernity, including - Skripach Oleg Kagan, Altist Yuri Bashmet, Cello Mstislav Rostropovich and Natalia Gutman. Unlike many of its contemporaries, Richter never engaged in teaching.

In the last years of life, Richter often canceled concerts due to diseases, but continued to perform. During the execution, on his demand on the stage was a complete darkness, and only notes standing on the pigest pigest, lit a lamp. According to the Pianist, it gave the public the opportunity to concentrate on music, not distracted by secondary moments. In recent years, he lived in Paris, and shortly before the death - July 6, 1997 returned to Russia. The last concert of the pianist took place in 1995 in Lübeck. Svyatoslav Richter died on August 1, 1997 in a central clinical hospital from a heart attack. Buried at the Novodevichy Cemetery in Moscow.

Information about Svyatoslav Richter is taken from Wikipedia.

The movie "Richter is unrelated (in two parts)":

Richter, Svyatoslav Teoflovich (20.3.1915, Zhytomyr, - 1.8.1997, Moscow). Russian pianist with German roots. Childhood and youth spent in Odessa, where he studied at his father, a pianist and an organist, who gained education in Vienna, and worked as a concertmeister of the Opera House. His first concert was given in 1934. At the age of 22, formally being self-taught, he entered the Moscow Conservatory, where he studied at Heinrich Nigauz. In 1940, for the first time publicly performed in Moscow, fulfilling the 6th Sonatu of Prokofiev; Subsequently, he became the first performer of his 7th and 9th sonat (the latter is dedicated to Richtera). In 1945, the All-Union Competition of Musicians-performers * won *. From the first steps on a professional field, perceived as a virtuoso and an exceptional musician. In the 1940s, the authorities did not produce Richter outside the USSR and the countries of the Soviet bloc; Only in 1960 he had a sensational debut in Finland and the United States, and in 1961-62 - in the UK, France, Italy and Austria. At the initiative of Richter, festivals were established by Music festivals in Turuchi (1964) and December evenings (1980), as well as the Music Festival in Tarusa (held since 1993). The last 10-15 years, Richter preferred to perform in small halls of provincial cities. The last concert of Richter took place in Lübeck 10 days after his 80th anniversary.

For several generations of Soviet and Russian musicians and musicians, Richter was not only an outstanding pianist, but also a carrier of the highest artistic and moral authority, the personification of a modern universal musician enlightenment. The huge Repertoire of Richter, expanding until the last years of his active life, included the music of different eras, from the "well-tempered key" of Baha and Suit Handela to the concert of Gershwin, Variations Weberna and "movements" of Stravinsky. In all repertoire spheres, Richter showed himself as a unique artist who combines the absolute objectivity of the approach to the new text (careful follow-up of copyrighted, confident control over the details, avoiding rhetorical exaggerations) with an unusually high dramatic tone and spiritual concentration of interpretation. The highest achievements of the Richter Solist are associated with music especially their favorite Hydena, Schubert, Chopin, Debussy and Prokofiev, as well as Mozart (individual concerts and sonates), Beethoven (1st and 3rd concerts, a number of Sonatas, 15 variations with Fuga ES -Dur, "Diabelli Variations"), Shumanan (Concert, "Abegg Variations", Toccata, "Symphony Etudes", Fantasia, Homoriest, "Night Pieces", "Vienna Carnival", various miniatures), sheet (both concerts, Some Etudes, Sonata H-Moll, etc.), Brahms (2nd concert, Sonata, Variations, Late Pieces), Mussorgsky (unsurpassed "pictures from the exhibition"), Rowel, Bartok (2nd concert), Shimanovsky, Hindemit , Shostakovich (Preludes and Fugues). Inherent in Richtera, the exacerbated consciousness of responsibility to art and the ability to dedicate was manifested in its special commitment to ensemble performets. At the early stage of Richter's career, his main ensemble partners were a pianist, a student of Niguza Anatoly Vedernikov (1920-1993), Nina Dorlyak singer (soprano, Richter's wife, 1908-1998), violinity of Galina Barinova (1910-2006), Cello Daniel Saffron, with 1949/50 until the end of the 1960s - Mstislav Rostropovich (their own perfect, truly classical joint work - all cello Beethoven's cell phones). In the 1960s, Richter performed in a piano duet with Benjamin Britten, fulfilling not only his music, but also works of Mozart, Schubert, Shuman, Debussy. Among the singers, which he accompanied in the 1960s -80-X, - Dietrich Fisher-Discau ("Beautiful Magelona" Brahms, Schubert and Wolf songs) and Peter Schreier ("Winter Way" of Schubert). In 1966, the Commonwealth of Richter and David Justrakh began; In 1969, they implemented the premiere of a violin sonata Shostakovich. Richter was a frequent quartet partner to them. Borodina and willingly collaborated with the younger generation musicians, including Oleg Kagan, Elizabeth Leon, Natalia Gutman, Yuri Bashmet, Golden Kochysh, Pianists Vasily Lobanov (r. 1947) and Andrey Gavrilov (r. 1955). The art of Richter as a soloist and an ensemble is immortalized in a huge number of studio and concert records made from 1946 to 1994.

Levon Hakobyan ("Music of the twentieth century. Encyclopedic dictionary").
Some abbreviations are disclosed in the text.

Svyatoslav Richter - Odessa, although he was born on March 20, 1915 in Zhytomyr, where his early childhood passed. The grandfather of the future pianist was a musical master and piano tutorial. He had twelve children. One of them - Theofil - became a professional musician, studied at the Vienna Academy of Music, spent about twenty years in Vienna. In the memory of Svyatoslav for the whole life, it was preserved as the father "well played the piano, especially the romantic plays - Shumanan, Chopin. In his youth, like a pianist, gave concerts. But Panically afraid and because of this, never became a concerted pianist. Excellent owned by the authority, often improvised on it. His improvisation came to listen to many ... ". Svyatoslav's mother - Anna Pavlovna Moskaleva "was artistically gifted, well drawn, loved theater, music. According to its nature, it resembled one of the characters of the play Bulgakov "Days of Turbines" - Elena Turbine. In general, when I watched this performance, a lot was associated with my childhood, "Richter recalled. In Zhytomyr and another Ukrainian city - Sumy, the Little Svyatoslav lived in the family of grandfather for five years, and then until 1937 his childhood, youth and youth passed in Odessa. Here he graduated from a seven-year school, his musical hobbies began. The home of Richter often gathered to play the trio, quartets. On Thursdays, homemade musical evenings were arranged in the apartment of Professor Odessa Conservatory B. Tyuyev.

Svyatoslav's music first studied at his father, a pianist and an organist. Formally, not having a musical education, worked as a concertmaster of the choir Odessa opera.

Richter so recalled the beginning of his musical life: "By what I became a musician, I owe mainly to my father - he created a musical atmosphere in the family. It did completely naturally: he was a pianist, graduated from the Vienna Conservatory - a long time ago! He was quite an elderly, much older than the mother, for many years. Father had disciples. As a musician, he used an authority, but I myself could not do with him completely. He did not use the authority - probably because I was his son. We tried three times, and every time it was concerned that he refused to engage in me. Father was a very soft man, and for some reason I did it all the opposite ... The father then played on the piano, but when I was fifteen years old (1930), he already stopped playing him, now he was an organist ... from fifteen years I He began to work for free as a surprise-trainee in an amateur circle at the palace of sailors, where they gathered primarily artists. With them, I learned the opera parties. Of course, it was all terrible, they sang terrible! There are a lot of comic memories ... After that, in sixteen-seventeen years, I performed as an accompaniment at the concerts of the Odessa Philharmonic. Accompanied in national concerts, in which violinists and magicians, and jugglers could participate. There I was one year (until 1933), then it raised, and I was fired. The following year was an agreement that they would take me again, but I didn't return to the philharmonic. I entered the concertmaster to the Odessa Opera House, but not in Opera, but in ballet. And the whole year (until 1934) I accompanied in ballet. I was then developed my own pianistic style, orchestral somewhat ... For the next year I moved to Opera. Three years (until 1937) worked in the opera ... even when I entered the concertmaster to the ballet, I had a very bold thought in my head - to give my concert, in one year of work on the piano, maybe for one and a half or two years. In Odessa was where I decided to give a concert from the works of Chopin. Of course, it was a strange concert! He was very crowded and passed with great success (February 19, 1934) ... "

At the age of 22 (1937), in fact, being self-taught, Svyatoslav entered the Moscow Conservatory, where he studied at Heinrich Nigause. This is how the contemporaries of Richter describe: "From the very beginning, the phenomenon of Richter was like a miracle. This wonderful fact is captured in the memoirs of Henrich Gustavovich Neigausa: "Students asked to listen to a young man from Odessa, who would like to enter the conservatory, in my class. "He graduated from a music school?" - I asked. "No, he has not studied anywhere." I confess, this answer was somewhat puzzled ... A person who did not receive musical education was going to enter the conservatory! It was interesting to look at the brave. And now he came. High, thin young man, blonde, sinegylase, with alive, surprisingly attractive face. He sat down for the piano, put on the keys big, soft, nervous hands and played. He played very restrained, I would say, even emphasized, strictly. His execution captured me. I whispered my student: "In my opinion, he is a brilliant musician." After the twenty-eighth Sonatas Beethoven, the young man played several of his writings, read from the leaf. And everyone who was present would like him to play more and yet ... From this day, Svyatoslav Richter became my student. "

From 1937 to 1941, Svyatoslav came to Odessa several times to visit the parents. However, after the beginning of the war, Richter's connection with Odessa was interrupted, and, as it turned out, forever. This is how Anatoly Wasserman says about it: "... Before the very departure of Soviet troops from Odessa in early October 1941, the security authorities managed to shoot the church regent and the organist, the professor of the Odessa Conservatory and the Concertremister Odessa Odessa Theater German Teofila Danilovich Richter - Father of the Outstanding Pianist XX Century Svyatoslav Richter. Together with him the other 23 members of the "German" church are shot. This is reminded by a memorial plate in Kirch. Svyatoslav Teoflovich, who traveled the whole world and gave more than 70 concerts per year, never toured in Odessa ... "

With students, Kiev, 1948

Richter's father was shot before entering Odessa of German troops just for being a German. Mother left Odessa along with retreating German troops. Because of this Richter, many years have not been released to the West, fearing that he will not return. His called from Germany mother.

This is what Vera Ivanovna Prokhorov recalled this, family friend Richter:
"... [Vera Ivanovna] mentions the complex relations of Svyatoslav Richter with the mother, which he considered guilty of the death of his father at the beginning of the war. Pianist's parents lived in Odessa, and in recent days, before the arrival in the city of Germans, they were offered to evacuate. But the mother refused to do this, since otherwise her lover - Someone Sergey Kondratyev - was forced to stay in the city. Richter's father - German by origin - was arrested and killed by the NKVD, together with thousands of his tribesmen, who were believed to simpatized the fascists. The mother, during the retreat of the German troops, left with them and later lived in Germany. All his life, Richter was terribly worried about this story and, although he met and communicated with his mother, was incredibly injured in what happened. "

Svyatoslav Richter at work