Arthur Rubinstein plays Beethoven, Ravel, and Chopin
For a very long time now I have felt that pianist Arthur Rubinstein may not have been technically very accurate in his playing; but his ability to be expressive has always spoken to me. This recording gives us new material that has never before been released.
The selections are:
Beethoven:
- Piano Sonata No. 3 in C major, Op. 2 No. 3
Chopin:
- Nocturne No. 8 in D flat major, Op. 27 No. 2
- Ballade No. 1 in G minor, Op. 23
- Andante spianato & Grande Polonaise, Op. 22
Ravel:
- Valses nobles et sentimentales
Performed by Arthur Rubinstein (piano)
Arthur Rubinstein (1887–1982) was one of the greatest pianists of the twentieth century. After brief studies with Paderewski in Switzerland in 1903, Rubinstein moved to Paris, where he met Ravel and Dukas, and played Saint-Saëns’s G minor Concerto to the composer’s approval. He made his debuts in the USA in 1906 and London in 1912.
Rubinstein became a naturalized American citizen in 1946, but he maintained residences in California, New York, Paris and Geneva. After the Second World War, he refused to perform in Germany, in response to the Nazi extermination of his Polish family. Rubinstein became a strong supporter of Israel with an international piano competition named after him in 1974.
Here is Mr. Rubinstein playing several compositions by Chopin, including “Waltz in C Sharp Minor” and the “A Major Polonaise”.
And now, from a concert in Moscow: Chopin 4 Etudes: Op.25 No.1 A-flat major Op.10 No. 5 G-flat major Op.25 No. 5 E minor Op.10 No. 4 C-sharp minor
