Sviatoslav Richter is widely regarded as one of the finest pianists of the twentieth century. With a career that began in Soviet Russia in the 1930s, listeners in the West had their first opportunity to hear him through recordings made in the 1950s, and his reputation among classical fans grew quickly. Richter's approach to music is best illustrated by the enormous range of his repertoire. In recital and on recordings he played everything from Bach to Stravinsky to George Gershwin as well as championing unknown or unpopular works he thought deserved the public's attention. For the first time Philips and Decca recordings are brought together for a new definitive mid-price Richter series. Sviatoslav Richter died in 1997 - the year 2007 marks the 10th anniversary of his death.