Svyatoslav Richter, a world-renowned pianist and one of the greatest musicians of the Soviet era, died Friday after suffering a heart attack, the Russian Culture Ministry said. He was 82.
Richter had been taken to Moscow's Central Clinical Hospital after complaining of chest pains Thursday at his country home outside Moscow, the ITAR-Tass news agency said.Richter, who won international praise and the highest honors conferred by the Soviet government, was hailed by Russia's NTV television network as "a symbol of our country, a symbol of European culture and performer No. 1."
Two years ago, on Richter's 80th birthday, President Boris Yeltsin called his musical interpretations "a source of inspiration and love of beauty."
He was known for his brilliant technique and a repertoire that included practically all styles, from Bach to Debussy to Prokofiev and Shostakovich.
Born March 20, 1915, in Zhitomir, Ukraine, Richter learned music from his father, a pianist and organist.
He began conducting while still a teenager, at the Odessa Opera House. He gave his first solo piano concert in 1934, also in Odessa.
From 1937-47, Richter studied at the Moscow Conservatory under well-known pianist Heinrich Naygauz.
He became the Soviet Union's leading pianist in the 1940s.