With the death of Sviatoslav Richter in 1997—shortly after the completion of this award-winning film—the great age of Russian pianistic classicism in many ways came to an end. Shunning convention, publicity and glamour, Richter devoted his life to music. With a great deal of dignity and self-effacing wit. he narrates the events of his life with an unprecedented degree of can­dour and humour. Filmmaker Bruno Monsaingeon gives Richter the space to tell his own story, using the visual canvas to insert an abundance of well-chosen archival and performance footage. This documentary serves as a rare, impossibly detailed and enthralling glimpse into musical life in the Soviet era.