Arthur Rubinstein

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Arthur Rubinstein (January 28 1887 – December 20 1982) is widely considered as one of the greatest pianists of the 20th Century. He received international acclaim for his performances of Chopin and his championing of Spanish music.

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Biography

Rubinstein was born Artur Rubinstein in Łódź, Poland to a Jewish family, and studied in Warsaw. He made his debut in Berlin in 1900, followed by appearances in Germany and Poland and further study with Paderewski. In 1904, he went to Paris, where he met the composers Ravel, Dukas, and the violinist Jacques Thibaud. He also played Saint-Saëns' Piano Concerto No. 2 in the presence of the composer. Image:Pomnik Rubisteina Lodz.jpg Rubinstein made his New York debut at Carnegie Hall in 1906, and thereafter toured the United States, Austria, Italy, and Russia. In 1912, he made his London debut.

During World War I Rubinstein lived mainly in London, accompanying the violinst Eugène Ysaÿe. From 1916 to 1917, he toured Spain and South America, developing an enthusiasm for the music of Granados, Albéniz, de Falla, and Villa-Lobos. He was the dedicatee of Villa-Lobos' "Rudepoema", one of the most difficult piano pieces ever written.

In 1932 he withdrew from concert life for several months to work on his technique and repertory.

During World War II, Rubinstein lived in the United States and became a naturalized citizen in 1946. He refused to play in post-war Germany because of the Nazi extermination of members of his family. He retired from the stage in 1976, as his eyesight and hearing were rapidly deteriorating. He became totally blind in later life.

Although best known as a soloist, Rubinstein was also an outstanding chamber musician, partnering with such luminaries as Henryk Szeryng, Jascha Heifetz and Gregor Piatigorsky. In addition to Chopin, he also recorded the music of Beethoven, Brahms, Schubert, Schumann, Dvořák, and Rachmaninoff.

Rubinstein was generally regarded as a Romantic pianist, but was Classical in the sense that he rarely deviated from the printed score. Rubinstein favored an uncluttered interpretive approach, which emphasized overall structure over detail. He never aspired to the stratospheric level of technique achieved by Vladimir Horowitz or Josef Hofmann, but was more than equal to the task of the standard repertoire. Rubinstein’s tone was mellow and round, even at full volume, while his pianissimos penetrated to the far reaches of the concert hall. Fluent in eight languages, Rubinstein’s memory was formidable. (He once learned Franck’s Symphonic Variations while on a train en route to the concert, without the benefit of a piano.)

Rubinstein was married in 1932 to Aniela (Nela) Mlynarska, daughter of conductor Emil Mlynarski and ex-wife of Mieczyslaw Munz. They had four children: their daughter Eva married William Sloane Coffin; their son John Rubinstein is an actor. Rubinstein also fathered a daughter with a South American woman. Though he never divorced, he carried on a series of affairs during his marriage and left his wife for Annabelle Whitestone in 1977.

Rubinstein died in Geneva, Switzerland, in 1982 at age 95. His ashes were interred in Israel.

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Honours and Awards

In 1977, he was made an honorary Knight of the British Empire (KBE).

Grammy Award for Best Chamber Music Performance:

Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Soloist Performance (without orchestra):

  • Arthur Rubinstein for Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 18 in E Flat/Schumann: Fantasiestucke, Op. 12 (1978)
  • Arthur Rubinstein for Beethoven: Sonatas No. 21 in C (Waldstein) and No. 18 in E Flat (1960)
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External links

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