Sviatoslav Richter. Greatest pianist of the last century?

"Greatest" anything of anytime.....sigh.

Yawn.

I'd rather listen to Petrucciani, Evans, Hancock, Corea, Barron, etc. 

As Frank Zappa once said...sort of..."It's not a pushup contest."

+1

... and yet, for many, these "best of" competitions appear to be irresistible. 

+1 on Gieseking, though it's a crime that Walter Legge recorded him on such blowsy, antiquated equipment.  There are very few recordings that convey the glory of his tone.  Also, I enjoy Trifonov a lot.  But I confess that I don't "get" Richter.  I don't know why.  I have a good friend, a fellow audiophile who studied to be a classical pianist, who keeps up with the plethora of talented young pianists.  I need to sit down with him sometime and help me understand what makes Richter so special.  I don't doubt that he is, but as someone who is not a trained musician I feel that I'm missing something.

I never enjoyed Richter.  For me, he seemed too mechanical. Perhaps it is time to try again...

I prefer Kempff for Beethoven and Gould for Bach.  After them, there are many great 'all-round pianists' from the last century.  - including include Ashkenazy, Arrau, and Fleisher. 

Happy Listening