Medici Masters: MM0292Artur Rubinstein |
Prices shown exclude VAT. (UK tax is not payable for deliveries to United States.)
See Terms & Conditions for p&p rates. | |  0827565039722 MM0292 | Artur RubinsteinRecording: Nijmegen, The Netherlands, 20 April 1963
This recital by Arthur Rubinstein (1887-1982) given in Nijmegen close to the Dutch border with Germany in 1963 can be considered an event of historical importance. Because of the pianist's refusal to play in Germany following the War, Rubinstein decided to give a concert as close to the border as feasible, which not surprisingly attracted a great deal of press attention at the time and because it was attended by many German music lovers who travelled from all over the Germany to see him. The recording made by the WDR in Cologne has never been available before either as a pirate or commercially. This is it's first ever release. The programme is a distillation from the full recital lasting over 90 minutes and has been overseen by the Rubinstein family. The titles are familiar to any Rubinstein collector but are given added vibrancy and presence by the excitement of the event caught live in excellent sound. This is far removed from the sometimes more careful Rubinstein of the recording studio. “Right from the first bars of Beethoven's Appassionata, you know you are in the presence of a master in this historic recording, never before released. It dates from a 1963 recital in Nijmegen in Holland. The great pianist refused to step foot in Germany after the war but agreed to play a bus ride from the border, even though he knew former Nazis could be in the audience. Digital technology has brought the old WDR recording to life, transmitting every moment of nervous creativity in a fascinating testimony to a talent that endures beyond the grave.” The Observer, 27th July 2008 “…although this is a mere snapshot of a 76-year-old legend… it is a vividly coloured one. His Beethoven is direct and unmannered… Brahms Intermezzo casts a warm glow over proceedings… The Chopin items are imbued with a lifetime's close friendship, and the comparative rarity (for Rubinstein) of Liszt's 12th Hungarian Rhapsody, an account that would turn many pianists half his age green with envy, is the cherry on top.” Gramophone Magazine, 2008 Awards Issue | 
| | | Usually despatched in 2 - 3 working days. |
|
|
| |
|
Copyright © 2002-8 Presto Classical, all rights reserved.
Web site design and maintenance by Ferrer Consulting Ltd.
