Sviatoslav Richter: Brahms - Variations on a theme by Paganini, op 35 Book I

Sviatoslav Teofilovich Richter (Russian: Святосла́в Теофи́лович Ри́хтер, tr. Sviatosláv Teofílovich Ríkhter; IPA: [svʲjətɐsˈlaf tʲɪɐˈfʲiləvʲɪtɕ ˈrʲixtər], Ukrainian: Святосла́в Теофі́лович Рі́хтер; March 20 [O.S. March 7] 1915 – August 1, 1997) was a Soviet pianist known for the depth of his interpretations, virtuoso technique, and vast repertoire. He is considered one of the greatest pianists of the 20th century. As Richter once put it, “My repertory runs to around eighty different programs, not counting chamber works. His repertoire ranged from Handel and Bach to Szymanowski,Berg, Webern, Stravinsky, Bartók, Hindemith, Britten, and Gershwin. He gave the premiere of Prokofiev’s Sonata No. 7, which he learned in four days, and No. 9, which Prokofiev dedicated to Richter. Apart from his solo career, he also performedchamber music with partners such as Mstislav Rostropovich,