"Richter The Enigma" about piano great Sviatoslav Richter

I'll make this review short: if you care about piano in general and the greatest piano players of the twentieth century, you must buy this documentary by Bruno Monsaingeon about piano great Sviatoslav Richter (who would have turned 100 this year), first published in France as "Richter l'Insoumis". The 2-DVD set (totaling 2 1/2 hours) is remarkable on all counts. Not only is Sviatoslav Richter one of the towering figures of classical piano of the twentieth century, but he has a compelling personal story and the movie alternates between interview segments and archival footage of Richter displaying the most stunning, jaw-dropping mastery at the piano that I have ever witnessed. The movie will make you care about Richter the man, admire Richter the pianist, and go straight to your favorite music store (online or not) to purchase his recordings. The word "genius" is overused these days, but Richter is one of the few who clearly deserves it. 

Below is a preview of the documentary. You'll be happy to know that the DVD does subtitle all dialogue not in English (mostly Russian and a bit of French). The segment below is mostly about Richter, who was self-taught, auditioning for a spot at the Moscow Conservatory. At the far right of the screen shot below with his chin in his palm, you can see Richter's future professor, amazed by the 19-year-old genius at the piano (Richter), amidst a crowd of very impressed students. For a quick overview of Richter's career, you can read his 1997 obituary in the New York Times here.