Sviatoslav Richter: Treasured piano pieces loved by the legendary pianist

When people hear the phrase “poet of the piano,” many likely think of Frédéric Chopin, a quintessential composer of the Romantic era.

However, there was in fact another musician whose great achievements in the world of classical music earned him the same epithet as Chopin: the “poet of the piano.”

That musician is Samson François, a pianist who rose to prominence as one of the leading composers in post–World War II France.

He graduated at the top of his class from the Paris Conservatory in 1940, won first prize at the inaugural Long–Thibaud International Competition, and went on to enchant audiences around the globe with his performances.

In this article, we’ve carefully selected some of François’s finest recordings.

Please enjoy the captivating performances left to us by this remarkable artist, who passed away much too soon at the age of 46.