Multisonic is a classical record label from Czechoslovakia, which has released 7 albums8 CDs of Richter in its Prague Spring series and Russian Treasures series, with the release details as follows (in order of release number):
1）Multisonic : Richter – Brahms Concerto No. 2 2CD (Prague Spring Festival series)
Release Number:31 0020-2 Release Date:1990 year
Track: BrahmsPiano Concerto No. 2 in B-Flat Major, Op. 83
– Kyrill Kondrashin conducting Czech Philharmonic Orchestra
Performance:1950/05/23 at the Smetana Hall in Prague, Recording: Czech Radio
First Edition CD, recording of Richter’s first performance abroad
2）Multisonic : Richter – Liszt Concerto No. 1 (Prague Spring Festival series)
Release Number:31 0038-2 Release Date:1990 year
Track: LisztPiano Concerto No. 1 in E-Flat Major, S. 124
– Karel Ancerl conducting Czech Philharmonic Orchestra
Performance:1954/06/03 at the Smetana Hall in Prague, Recording: Czech Radio
First Edition CD
3）Multisonic : Richter – Mozart Sonatas (Prague Spring Festival series)
Release Number:31 0076-2Release Date:1991 year
Track: MozartPiano Sonata No. 8 in A Minor, K. 310
Piano Sonata No. 15 in F Major, K. 533
Piano Sonata No. 16 in C Major, K. 545 ‘Sonata Semplice’
Performance:1956/06/01at the Smetana Hall in Prague, Recording: Czech Radio
First Edition CD
4）Multisonic : Richter – Ravel, Schumann (Prague Spring Festival series)
Release Number:31 0193-2 Release Date:1993 year
Track: SchumannFantasie in C Major, Op. 17 (Note that most of this album features pieces performed by Michelangeli)
Performance:1959/11/02 at the Rudolfinum in Prague, Recording: Czech Radio
First Edition CD
5）Multisonic : Richter – Schumann Concerto (Russian Treasures series)
Release Number:31 0268-2 Release Date:1994 year
Track: SchumannPiano Concerto in A Minor, Op. 54
– Alexander Gauk conducting Moscow Radio Orchestra
Performance:1948/02/10 in Moscow, recording from the Soviet Melody studio (Richter’s first studio recording)
There are multiple vinyl LP releases, and this album and Monitor are not from the same source for the first CD release.
6）Multisonic : Richter – Brahms, Liszt
Release Number:31 0335-2 Release Date:1995 year
This album is a compilation of 1） +2） with a new cover release.
7）Multisonic : Richter – Mozart Sonatas
Release Number:31 0336-2 Release Date:1995 year
This album is a reissue of 3） 31 0076-2 with a new cover.
Summary: The releases from Multisonic actually consist of 5 albums 6 CDs, with the first four coming from Richter’s performances at the Prague Spring Festival, all being first edition CDs with no copyright issues. The fifth album from the Russian Treasures series is sourced from a melody tape transcription (the first CD from Monitor is from vinyl LP digital remastering ). Due to the subsequent production and release of “Richter in Prague” by the Czech Music Commission, which was too outstanding, it somewhat overshadowed the brilliance of these Multisonic albums. In the second-hand market, these CDs are not too hard to find. If you are a seasoned collector of Richter’s CDs, these albums are definitely not to be missed!