Pianophilia

It is a pity that nobody listened to the Rubinstein Debussy file to the end!
For whatever reasons the last few bars of „Ondine“ are missing.

So here is the complete file:

RUBINSTEIN plays BRAHMS:
Recorded any time beetween 1947 and 1953*** (RCA LM-1787, side one)
op. 117,2
op. 76,2
op. 118,2
op. 119,2
op. 79,1

IMHO among the most perfect Brahms recordings ever.
Rubinstein always claimed that Brahms (and not Chopin) is his favourite composer!

http://www.mediafire.com/download/idvp1 ... side_A.mp3

***To my knowledge the only reliable Rubinstein discography has been compiled by Donald Manildi as an appendix to Harvey Sachs' biography „Rubinstein: A Life“. I would be grateful if anybody could make this available.

Wonderful recording! Alas, Rubinstein didn't record more Brahms.

fleubis wrote:Wonderful recording! Alas, Rubinstein didn't record more Brahms.

There is the stereo Brahms album („The brahms I love“), with nearly exactly the same pieces as on the mono Brahms album, and there is the stereo recording of the Sonata op. 5 coupled with op. 116,6* and op. 118,5*. I can post the Sonata if you like. The Sonata was probably recorded in 1959, but apparently there is also an earlier mono recording (see: Rubinstein collection Vol. 21 on CD).

Unfortunately there is no reliable and complete Rubinstein discography on the internet.


*Possibly taken from the album „The Brahms I love“.

alfor wrote:It is a pity that nobody listened to the Rubinstein Debussy file to the end!
For whatever reasons the last few bars of „Ondine“ are missing.

So here is the complete file:

Rubinstein Debussy Ondine.mp3

I did, and like you was waiting to see if anyone would mention it! Anyway, it is an excellent performance of Ondine.

Hope you like it, dear fleubis!

RUBINSTEIN plays BRAHMS:
Recorded any time beetween 1947 and 1953 (RCA LM-1787, side 2)
op. 79,2
op. 117,3
op. 119,3
op. 118,6
op. 119,4

http://www.mediafire.com/download/6ogxt ... side_2.mp3

Some of Rubinstein's rarest Chopin recordings:
among his latest mono recordings, published under the plain title
"Rubinstein and Chopin". Had been shortly thereafter replaced
by stereo recordings, which are inferior, imho.

RCA LM-2277 LP issue, Side A:
Fantaisie (rec. 1957)
3 Nouvelles Etudes (rec 1958)
Barcarolle (rec. c. 1957)

http://www.mediafire.com/?53d3358r9xi0lds

To liveforpiano (Sir Peter), with compliments!

Frank MERRICK plays:
PARRY: Theme and Variations
LESCHETIZKY: Canzonetta Toscana al antica; Intermezzo in Octaves
SCHÜTT: Valse Mignonne

http://www.mediafire.com/?tlsl419y8v3ddri

From LP "Frank Merrick Edition Vol. 6 SRRE 117"

Merrick was probably well over 80 when he recorded these pieces. Nevertheless an extremely authoritative reading
(listen to it with the score in front!)
Sounds like a home recording (which it probably is!) on a period instrument (which it probably is NOT!).
The nostalgic, „historic“ sound is extremely suitable imho for the Parry Variations, which look backwards,
echoing Mendelssohn and Schumann with an excellent piano writing.

Some of Merrick's - most interesting - recital programmes can be seen here:
http://musicsack.com/Pianist_Concerts.c ... =100016862

Thank you Alfor. This is the CD recording I have of the Parry Variations:-
https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/piano ... d356907473
(Am I the only person who gets irritated by the use of the word 'Songs' for
CD tracks which clearly aren't songs?)
To my ear, this work seems to resemble closely the style of early Brahms.

alfor wrote:It is a pity that nobody listened to the Rubinstein Debussy file to the end!
For whatever reasons the last few bars of „Ondine“ are missing.

So here is the complete file:

Rubinstein Debussy Ondine.mp3

Thanks Alfor. I did have a lot of Rubinstein RCA CDs but these Debussy and Brahms are still very much welcome. His RCA French and Spanish albums features some of his best recordings for me. One of the reasons I started loving Debussy when I was still young is also Rubinstein. So, thank you very much again.