Arthur Rubinstein
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Arthur (born Artur) Rubinstein (January 28, 1887 – December 20, 1982) was a Polish pianist who is widely considered as one of the greatest piano virtuosos of the 20th Century. He received international acclaim for his performances of Chopin and Brahms and his championing of Spanish music.
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[edit] Biography
Rubinstein was born in Łódź, Poland (then part of Russian-controlled Congress Poland) in a Jewish family. Aside from his early and singular fascination with the piano, another interesting childhood trait is that Rubinstein didn't begin speaking until some time around the age of three. Until the time that he developed speech, Rubinstein would entertain his family by imitating non-speech sounds.[1] The descriptions of Rubinstein's delayed speech, his early childhood tantrums and his later virtuosity closely follow a similar pattern of development of other famous late-talkers, such as fellow pianist Clara Schumann and physicist (and sometimes-musician) Albert Einstein, among others. [2]
Rubinstein studied in Warsaw. He made his debut in Berlin in 1900, followed by appearances in Germany and Poland and further study with Karl Heinrich Barth. 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.
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 violinist 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's Rudepoêma.
In 1917 Rubinstein left Cádiz (Spain) with his music manager Ernesto De Quesada, on the Infanta Isabel to South America. He debuted on July 2, 1917 in the Teatro Odeon, in Buenos Aires. This tour included concerts in Buenos Aires, Montevideo (Uruguay), Santiago de Chile and Valparaíso.
In 1932 he withdrew from concert life for several months to work on his technique and repertory.
Astor Piazzolla cites a Rubinstein concert staged in Buenos Aires in 1939 as one his first great impressions, which led the 18-year-old to write and dedicate to Rubinstein a piano "concerto" (a definition that Rubinstein was to debate with the young composer).
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 almost blind in later life.
Although best known as a recitalist and concerto soloist, Rubinstein was also considered an outstanding chamber musician, partnering with such luminaries as Henryk Szeryng, Jascha Heifetz, Gregor Piatigorsky, and the Guarneri Quartet. Of the piano solo repertoire Rubinstein recorded a vast portion, including nearly all the works of Chopin,save the Études, and innumerable other Romantic composers. He was one of the earliest champions of the afore-mentioned Spanish and South American composers and of French composers who, in the early 20th century, were still considered "modern" (Debussy, Dukas). In addition, Rubinstein was the first champion of the music of his compatriot Karol Szymanowski. Rubinstein, in conversation with Alexander Scriabin, named Brahms as his favorite composer (a response that enraged Scriabin) [3].
Rubinstein was fluent in eight languages [4]. Rubinstein’s photographic memory of much of the repertoire, not simply that of the piano, was formidable [5]. According to his memoirs, the pianist learned Franck’s Symphonic Variations while on a train en route to the concert, without the benefit of a piano.
[edit] Marriage and death
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, in 1977 at age 90, left his wife for the young Annabelle Whitestone.
Rubinstein died in Geneva, Switzerland, in 1982 at age 95. On December 20, 1983 (first anniversary of his death), an urn holding his ashes was buried in Israel, in a dedicated plot now dubbed "Rubinstein Forest" overlooking the Jerusalem Forest. (This was arranged with the rabbis so that the main forest wouldn't fall under religious laws governing cemeteries[6].)
[edit] Honours and awards
In 1977, he was made an honorary Knight of the British Empire (KBE).
Grammy Award for Best Chamber Music Performance:
- Pierre Fournier, Arthur Rubinstein & Henryk Szeryng for Schubert: Trios Nos. 1 in B Flat, Op. 99 and 2 in E Flat, Op. 100 (Piano Trios) (Grammy Awards of 1976)
- Pierre Fournier, Arthur Rubinstein & Henryk Szeryng for Brahms: Trios (Complete)/Schumann: Trio No. 1 in D Minor (Grammy Awards of 1975)
- Arthur Rubinstein for Beethoven: Sonatas No. 21 in C (Waldstein) and No. 18 in E Flat (Grammy Awards of 1960)
Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Soloist Performance (without orchestra):
- Arthur Rubinstein for Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 18 in E Flat/Schumann: Fantasiestücke, Op. 12 (Grammy Awards of 1978)
- Arthur Rubinstein for Beethoven: Sonatas No. 21 in C (Waldstein) and No. 18 in E Flat (Grammy Awards of 1960)
Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award (1994)
[edit] References
- ^ Sachs, Harvey (1995). "Rubenstein: A Life". New York:Grove Press. ISBN 0-8021-1579-9.
- ^ Sowell, Thomas (2001). "The Einstein Syndrome: Bright Children Who Talk Late". Basic Books, 89-150. ISBN 0-465-08140-1.
- ^ Artur Rubinstein, My Young Years, quoted in Norman Lebrecht, The Book of Musical Anecdotes
- ^ H. Sachs, op. cit.
- ^ ibid.
- ^ "Arthur Rubinstein Remains Are Buried in Jerusalem Plot", by Associated Press, in The New York Times, December 22, 1983 (page)
[edit] Biography and autobiography
- Rubinstein, a Life, Harvey Sachs, Grove Press 1995.
- My Young Years, New York 1973.
- My Many Years, New York 1980.
[edit] External links
- Profile of Arthur Rubinstein
- http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/homagetoarthurrubinstein/ "Homage to Arthur Rubinstein" A Yahoo! Group dedicated to the memory and artistry of Arthur Rubinstein.
Categories: Polish classical pianists | American classical pianists | Recipients of the Royal Philharmonic Society Gold Medal | Hollywood Walk of Fame | Polish Jews | Naturalized citizens of the United States | Polish-Americans | Jewish American musicians | Jewish classical musicians | Knights Commander of the Order of the British Empire | Grammy Award winners | Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winners | People from Łódź | 1887 births | 1982 deaths
