Born into a family of Polish merchants, Arthur Rubinstein began exhibiting his talents at the age of five. He gave his first formal concert in Potsdam in 1900 when he was 13, and after studying with such notables as Paderewski, he made his Carnegie Hall debut in 1906. It would be another three decades, however, before he would gain international renown under the guidance of impresario Sol Hurok. Over an incredible and lengthy career, he recorded an enormous amount of the solo piano repertoire including virtually all of the works of Chopin. He was also 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 Dukas.
The second concerto by Johannes Brahms and the Robert Schumann piano concerto are two masterpieces of romantic piano writing. In these newly-restored live performances from 1962 and 1964, the listener can hear the interpretation of the mature Rubinstein. The fresh vigour with which he continued to play even in old age is legendary, as this recording of the 75 and 77-year-old performer demonstrates so convincingly.
The Brahms concerto in B major opus 83 was the fruit of a long inner process of composition. After the failure of the first concerto in D minor opus 15, first performed in Leipzig, the composer took his time before attempting a second one. Twenty-three years separate the two works, and it was not until 1883 that the B flat concerto was presented to audiences by Johannes Brahms himself. Described as a “piano symphony” not merely on account of its length but also due to the tight relationship between the soloist and orchestra, its thematic link with the violin concerto opus 77 is often highlighted.
In Italy, a country that Rubinstein loved to visit, Robert Schumann’s Piano Concerto in A minor opus 54 was recorded under the baton of Franco Caracciolo. The three movements embrace everything that is important to the concept of Romantic Music, free handling of the theme, great emotions and tender feelings.
