Villa-Lobos: A Prole do Bebê, book 1 (The Baby's Family)

“One could hardly call this a disc of novel Rubinstein repertoire. All the works are familiar from his studio recordings and had been under his fingers for many years. Yet there is no better way of hearing this great artist than in front of an audience.
All except the Villa-Lobos items and Chopin Etude come from performances in the Royal Festival Hall. We can overlook the less than glamorous sound and forgive the odd clinker here and there (what Rubinstein appearance would be complete without them?), for here is a pianist at the height of his considerable powers.
This performance of Beethoven's Fourth is imbued with a lifetime's experience. The Saint-Saëns, a work Rubinstein had played to the composer nearly 60 years earlier, could hardly be bettered (his second and preferred studio recording with Alfred Wallenstein was made just two months later). As a friend of Villa- Lobos we have authoritative versions of pieces he first recorded in 1931. The E minor Etude, too, was a special favourite, while the Scherzo, interrupted by applause from those who did not know the piece, is all patrician elegance.
Altogether marvellous – except for the printing of Jeremy Siepmann's thoughtful notes where the typesetter, who enjoys using the smallest possible font, is clearly a stranger to the convention of leaving a space after full stops.
Why does this label insist on such unnecessary and irritating practices?” Gramophone Classical Music Guide, 2010

“…there is no better way of hearing this great artist than in front of an audience. …here is a pianist at the height of his considerable powers.” Gramophone Magazine, November 2007

“Arthur Rubinstein never failed to please. And so it is with these superb performances of Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 4 and Saint-Saens' Piano Concerto No. 2, recorded in the 50s and 60s in the Royal Festival Hall. Well worthwhile.” Gavin Engelbrecht, Northern Echo

“Villa-Lobos's claim that his music was 'the fruit of an immense, ardent and generous land' at once disarms familiar criticism of extravagance and formlessness. To regard such largesse through the blinkered eyes of someone exclusively nurtured on a more restrained and economical diet is unacceptable. There may be tares among the wheat but such strictures hardly apply to the music in this Vol 1 which commences with the enchanting Prole do bebê, Book 1 (the Second Book is a tougher, altogether more astringent and percussive experience, while a Third Book is sadly lost). Intimately associated with Artur Rubinstein (who rearranged Villa-Lobos's miniatures, omitting some and ending 'O Polichinelo' with an unmarked rip-roaring glissando), Prole dobebê is here played complete. Sonia Rubinsky makes light of a teasing rhythmic mix in 'Morenhina' (No 2) and in 'Caboclinha'(No 3) she relishes Villa-Lobos's audacity; his way of making his seductive melody and rhythm surface through a peal of church bells. Again, despite strong competition from Alma Petchersky on ASV in the no less delightful Cirandas, Rubinsky scores an unequivocal success, ideally attuned to the central and beguiling melody of 'Terezinha de Jesus' (No 1) with its forte e canto instruction, and allowing the fight between the carnation and the rose (No 4) to melt into a delicious love duet. Much celebrated in her native Brazil and also in America, Sonia Rubinsky is excellently recorded.” Gramophone Classical Music Guide, 2010

“[Freire’s] playing bristles with youthful virtuosity” International Record Review, January 2004