Anton Rubinstein - A Forgotten Genius

[hodi]

A truly gifted composer that is never talked about here !

(extracts from wikipedia)
A bit about Anton Rubinstein :
Anton Grigorevich Rubinstein (Russian: Антóн Григóрьевич Рубинштéйн), (November 28, 1829 – November 20, 1894) was a Russian pianist, composer and conductor. As a pianist he was regarded as a rival to Franz Liszt, and he ranks amongst the great keyboard virtuosos. He also founded the St. Petersburg Conservatory, which, together with Moscow Conservatory founded by his brother Nikolai Rubinstein, helped pave the way for Russia's emergence as a major musical power.



Rubinstein as a pianist

"This resemblance to Beethoven was also felt to be in Rubinstein's keyboard playing. Under his hands, it was said, the piano erupted volcanically. Audience members wrote of going home limp after one of his recitals, knowing they had witnessed a force of nature"


"It was the first time I had heard this greast artist play. He was most amiable at the rehearsal.... To this day I can recall how Rubinstein sat down at the piano, his leonine head thrown back slightly, and began the five opening measures of the principal theme.... It seemed to me I had never before heard the piano really played. The grandeur of style with which Rubinstein presented those five measures, the beauty of tone his softness of touch secured, the art with which he manipulated the pedal, are indescribable"

(violinist Leopold Auer)


"His power over the piano is something undrempt of; he transports you into another world; all that is mechanical in the instrument is forgotten. I am still under the influence of the all-embracing harmony, the scintillating passages and thunder of Beethoven's Sonata Op. 57 [Appassionata], which Rubinstein executed for us with unimagined mastery"

(violinist  Henri Vieuxtemps)


Schonberg called Rubinstein's piano tone the most sensuous of any of the great pianists [62]. Fellow pianist Rafael Joseffy compared it to "a golden French horn[63]" Rubinstein himself told an interviewer, "Strength with lightness, that is one secret of my touch.... I have sat hours trying to imitate the timbre of [Italian tenor Giovanni Battista Rubini's] voice in my playing.[64]"

Pressman attested to the singing quality of Rubinstein's playing, and much more: "His tone was strikingly full and deep. With him the piano sounded like a whole orchestra, not only as far as the power of sound was concerned but in the variety of timbres. With him, the piano sang as Patti sang, as Rubini sang[65]." Rubinstein told the young Rachmaninov how he achieved that tone. Just press upon the keys until the blood oozes from your fingertips[66].







His Compositions

Rubinstein was a prolific composer, writing no less than twenty operas (notably Demon, written after Lermontov's Romantic poem), five piano concerti, six symphonies and a large number of solo piano works along with a substantial output of works for chamber ensemble, two concertos for cello and one for violin, free-standing orchestral works and tone poems (including one entitled Don Quixote).

the list is here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_compositions_by_Anton_Rubinstein

Anton Rubinstein had a great gift for melody, upon hearing a composition of him for the first time, you will recognize it.

i haven't heard all of his compositions, by my favorites by far are:

Piano Sonata No.1 in E Minor, op.12

The Symphonies

Eroica Fantasia for orchestra (amazing color,melodies and orchestration)

The Piano Concertos (No.4 is probably the best among them, and one of rubinstein's best compositions)

Caprice russe, op. 102 for piano and orchestra

Cello Concerto in A minor

Romance Op.44 no.1 for piano

Barcarolle in a minor op.93 no.3

Melody in F (his most famous composition)

 Etude in C, Op. 23 No. 2  "Staccato"

Fantasy for piano & orchestra op.84

Opera "The Demon"

and various piano pieces here and there (check out his fantasy op.77 for piano ,massive piano fantasy !)

and there are probably more which i can't remember at the moment
check www.naxos.com for anton rubinstein:
https://www.naxos.com/composerinfo/892.htm
you can listen to samples of many compositions of anton rubinstein there
recommended !

[bench warmer]

Track down his variations-fantasy on the theme Yankee Doodle.

 Liszt is still wondering why he didn't think of it first!

[hodi]

yes!
i forgot his yankee-doodle variations!
a crazy piece!

[thalbergmad]

Indeed a forgotten genius as his piano concerti demonstrate.

Check the Stacatto Etude for some wrist breaking frivolity.

Thal

[dnephi]

In terms of compositional material, I disagree.  As a pianist, I have no contest.

[josh h]

Rubinstein performed a legendary series of "historical" concerts in approximately 1890, in which he (over successive weeks) brought the audience through the history of the keyboard literature - from Bach and Couperin to Scarlatti, Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin, Mendelsohn, and Liszt.  What a repertoire!

[dapianokid]

I only care for him for his transcriptions. Especially his Turkish March - Beethoven.

[hodi]

dapianokid
shame on you. you haven't heard enough of him!

[thalbergmad]

Surely, he cannot of heard the concertos.

Thal

[ch101]

horowitz

[hodi]

anyone is playing ruby these days ?