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Rubinstein GENRE classical SUBGENRE soloDolphin MusicArthur Rubinstein (January 28, 1887 December 20, 1982) was a Polish-American pianist. He received international acclaim for his performances of the music of a variety of composers. He is widely considered one of the greatest pianists of the twentieth century.
Rubinstein was born in Łodź, Poland on January 28, 1887, to a Jewish family. He was the youngest of 8 children.
At the age of two, he demonstrated perfect pitch and a fascination with the piano, watching his elder sister's piano lessons. By the age of four, he was already recognised as a child prodigy. The great Hungarian violinist Joseph Joachim, on hearing the four-year-old child play, was greatly impressed and began to mentor the young prodigy. Rubinstein first studied piano in Warsaw. By the age of ten, Rubinstein moved to Berlin to continue his studies. In 1900 at age 13, he made his debut with the Berlin Philharmonic, followed by appearances in Germany and Poland and further study with Karl Heinrich Barth (an associate of Franz Liszt, Hans von Blow, Joseph Joachim and Johannes Brahms; Barth also taught Wilhelm Kempff).During the Second World War, Rubinstein's career became centered in the United States. Impresario Sol Hurok insisted Rubinstein be billed as Artur (his Polish birth name) for his American concerts, even though the pianist referred to himself as Arthur when in English-speaking countries. He became a naturalized United States citizen in 1946.
A cast of the pianist's hands, at the Lodz museum
Although best known as a recitalist and concerto soloist, Rubinstein was also considered an outstanding chamber musician, partnering with such luminaries as Henryk Szeryng, Jascha Heifetz, Pablo Casals, Gregor Piatigorsky, and the Guarneri Quartet. Rubinstein recorded much of the core piano repertoire, particularly that of the Romantic composers. At the time of his death, the New York Times in describing him wrote, "Chopin was his specialty ... it was as a Chopinist that he was considered by many without peer. With the exception of the atudes, he recorded most of the works of Chopin. He was one of the earliest champions of the Spanish and South American composers and of French composers who, in the early 20th century, were still considered "modern" such as Debussy and Ravel. In addition, Rubinstein was the first champion of the music of his compatriot Karol Szymanowski. Rubinstein, in conversation with Alexander Scriabin, named Brahms as his favorite composer, a response that enraged Scriabin.
Rubinstein, who was fluent in eight languages, held much of the repertoire, not simply that of the piano, in his formidable memory. According to his memoirs, he learned Cesar Franck's Symphonic Variations while on a train en route to the concert, without the benefit of a piano, practicing passages in his lap. Rubinstein described his memory as photographic, to the extent that he would visualize an errant coffee stain while recalling a score.
In the mid-1970s, Rubinstein's eyesight began to deteriorate and he retired from the stage at age 89 in May 1976, giving his last concert at London's Wigmore Hall, where he had first played nearly 70 years before.
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 CONDON COLLECTION · RUBINSTEIN Rubinstein classical solo Dolphin Music | The Condon Collection is sourced from exceptional performances made for the Reproducing Piano by luminaries of music in the first 25 years of the 20th Century. These original performances remain preserved on the piano's music roll. Piano rolls are made of highly glazed durable paper with low hydroscopic values. These qualities are responsible for the sensitivity and trueness with which they still image music. The British Museum believes these rolls can last for centuries. The performers who cut music rolls demanded extremely high standards. They alone had the final say as to the quality of the reproduction of their work. Their reputation were at stake. Only when satisfied that the virtuosity of their playing had been captured would they deign to autograph the rolls, and so authenticate the calibre of the performances thereon. The piano rolls preserve each performance with a richness, tone and touch, which has remained competitive with early gramophone records. It is fascinating to compare music rolls from the Condon Collection with disc recordings from the same period. Whereas the disc reflects the rudimentary sounds of its early technology, the performance from the music roll is as dynamic as today's fine piano will allow. By the time discs matched the quality in sound of the paper roll made for reproducing pianos, most of the eminent composers you are about to hear were dead. |
Produced By: James Stewart & Spencer Lee;
Music Director: Denis Condon;
Recording Engineer: Spencer Lee;
Technical Advisor: Rowan Mc Combe;
Piano Technician: David Kinney;
Executive Producers: Barry Chapman, Janice Reid, Donald Morgan-Reid. |
Track Name | 1. Bar Car Olle In F# Op 60 · Chopin (8:06) |
PLAY AUD$1.99 | BUY | 2. Nocturne In F# Op 15 No 3 (3:46) |
PLAY AUD$1.99 | BUY | 3. Prelude Op 28 Nos 1, 4, 10, 21, 24 (7:04) |
PLAY AUD$1.99 | BUY | 4. Polonaise F# Op 44 (8:51) |
PLAY AUD$1.99 | BUY | 5. Hymn To The Sun From The Golden Cockerel · Rimsky Korsakov are Rubinstein (7:35) |
PLAY AUD$1.99 | BUY | 6. Island Of Joy · Debussy (5:24) |
PLAY AUD$1.99 | BUY | 7. Capricorn In B Minor Op 76 No 2 · Brahms (3:17) |
PLAY AUD$1.99 | BUY | 8. Rhapsody In B Minor Op 79 No 1 · Brahms (7:41) |
PLAY AUD$1.99 | BUY | 9. La Plus Que Lent · Debussy (3:41) |
PLAY AUD$1.99 | BUY | 10. Diabolical Suggestion Op 4 No 4 · Prokofieff (3:28) |
PLAY AUD$1.99 | BUY | 11. Ritual Fire Dance From Love, The Magician · De Falla (2:18) |
PLAY AUD$1.99 | BUY | 12. El Albaicin From Iberia · Albeinz (6:59) |
PLAY AUD$1.99 | BUY | 13. Evocation From Iberia · Albeinz (3:39) |
PLAY AUD$1.99 | BUY | Download Full Album | AUD$19.99 | BUY | |
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Artist | Track Name | Cost | | | | Total Cost | AUD$0.00 |
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