Richter's interpretation of Mussorgsky's Pictures from an Exhibition is often said to be definitive, and indeed there are few (if any) rival interpretations of the original piano version of the work that can leave you totally convinced you'd rather hear this than Ravel's orchestration. Your response to the remaining works on this disc, by Schubert, Chopin, Liszt, and Rachmaninov, will be largely determined by subjective considerations. The two Schubert Impromptus and the Moment Musical in C, the first of the D780 set, are possibly the most emotionally searching and lyrically intense performances of these pieces ever committed to disc. Personally, I find Richter's almost painful intensity disconcerting, and the same also could be said for his performance of the Chopin Étude in E Op. 10 No. 3.

The Liszt pieces are a staggering testimony to Richter's formidable virtuosity, and in musical terms alone this disc should have its own niche in every collection! Incidentally, this material was last issued in a two-disc package from the Philips "Great Pianists of the 20th Century" series, alongside Richter's performances of Prokofiev's piano sonatas Nos. 6, 7, and 8, though their absence from this latest reissue of the Sofia recital shouldn't deter you from obtaining these recordings if you missed them previously.