Who knows how a piece should sound better than its composer?
Galina Ustvolskaya waited for a long time for her ideal performer. Her patience finally rewarded her, and she eventually heard her music played in the way she herself heard it. The composer's preferred performers of her music were Anatoly Vedernikov, Reinbert de Leeuw , Frank Denyer, Markus Hinterhäuser, Alexei Lubimov , Vera Beths, Ivan Sokolov, Mstislav Rostropovich, David Arden, Kirill Rybakov, Аlexander Trostyansky, Alexander Rudin.

The appearance of Reinbert de Leeuw in the Ustvolskaya's life dramatically transformed her attitude towards the performance of her works. Finally, an artist appeared who did not ask for any explanations as to how to play, who demonstrated a deep understanding of her music. Ustvolskaya had been looking forward to his performances the most. Later there were Frank Denyer, Ivan Sokolov, Alexei Lubimov, Markus Hinterhäuser and others, whose renditions Ustvolskaya greatly appreciated. But her main hero till the last day of her life was de Leeuw.

1. A letter from Ustvolskaya to Mr Duffek (Musikverlag Hans Sikorski) concerning Oleg Malov and Reinbert de Leeuw
2. Galina Ustvolskaya's statement about Sonata No 2 performed by Anatoly Vedernikov
3. Galina Ustvolskaya's statement about Rainbert De Leeuw
4. A letter from Galina Ustvolskaya concerning Marianne Schroeder's play
5. A letter from Galina Ustvolskaya to Patrick de Clerk, of the Belgian label Megadisc
6. A letter from Galina Ustvolskaya concerning the new editions of her old recordings (in German)

Letters 1, 2, 4, 5 translated later from Russian.

Recordings

The composer’s preferred recordings of her music were:

1. Sonata No 2 (Anatoly Vedernikov)
   TEICHIKU TECC-28170 CD JAPAN
   CLASSOUND 002-043 CD RUSSIA

2. Grand Duet, Sonata No 5 (Frank Denyer, Taco Kooistra)
   ETCETERA KTC 1170 CD NETHERLANDS
   

3. Six Sonatas (Frank Denyer)
   CONIFER CD 75605 51262 2 UK

4. Six Sonatas (Markus Hinterhäuser)
   COL LEGNO WWE 20019 CD GERMANY
   COL LEGNO WWE 50502 CD GERMANY

5. Six Sonatas, 12 Preludes (Ivan Sokolov)
   TRITON DMCC-35001/2 CD JAPAN
   PIANO CLASSICS PCL0050 CD UK

6. 12 Preludes (David Arden)
   KOCH 3-7301-2 CD USA

7. Sonata No 5, Duet for piano and violin (Reinbert de Leeuw, Vera Beths)
   HAT ART 6115 CD SWITZERLAND

8. Trio (Alexei Lubimov, Alexander Trostiansky, Kirill Rybakov)
   ECM NEW SERIES 1959 4763108 CD GERMANY

9. Concerto for piano, string orchestra and timpani (I. Jakoby, Sir Charles Mackerras)
   CDSA 6805 CD UK
   The musicians on the recording used the soviet score published in 1967, which contains a number of editorial mistakes

10. Concerto for piano, string orchestra and timpani (Alexei Lubimov, Heinrich Schiff)
    ERATO 0630 12 709-2 CD GERMANY
    APEX 2564 60491 2 CD UK

11. Octet (Schönberg Ensemble), Violin Sonata (Vera Beths, Reinbert de Leeuw)
    ETCETERA KTC 9000-CD 16 THE NETHERLANDS

12. Grand Duet for piano and cello (Mstislav Rostropovich, Alexei Lyubimov)
    EMI 572016-2 CD UK

13. Three Compositions (Schönberg Ensemble, Reinbert de Leeuw)
    PHILIPS 442532-2 CD THE NETHERLANDS
    DECCA 8718456018976 CD THE NETHERLANDS

14. Symphony No 1 (conducted by Valery Gergiev)
    NOT PUBLISHED

15. Symphony No 2 (Dutch Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, piano — Reinbert de Leeuw, reciter — Dmitry Lagatchiev)
    NOT PUBLISHED

16. Symphony No 5 (London Musici conducted by Mark Stephenson, reciter — Sergei Leiferkus)
    CONIFER 75605 51 194-2 CD UK
    BMG CATALYST RCA RED SEAL 82876 654545 2 CD UK

17. Poem No 1 for orchestra (conducted by Arvids Jansons)
    AKKORD D-010306 LP USSR
    BRILLIANT CLASSICS 96084 2CD THE NETHERLANDS