The Rubinstein Collection Volume 81 - Brahms Piano Concerto No. 1 (w/ Mehta)

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The Rubinstein Collection Volume 81 - Brahms Piano Concerto No. 1 (w/ Mehta)

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This CD documents Arthur Rubinstein's final of three recordings of Brahms D minor Concerto. After Chopin, Rubinstein recorded more of Brahms' music than that of any other composer. It is fitting, therefore, that the first and last concertos he recorded were by Brahms. This Concerto is a difficult work to pull off successfully: the piano part is ungrateful, and often drowned out by an over-orchestrated accompaniment. Also, many pianists–most notably Glenn Gould–tend to drag the tempos beyond all reason. Rubinstein, who was ten years old when Brahms died, would never have considered such a nonsensical approach. The Concerto was written early in Brahms career, and was the work of a young man. In essence, "Brahms without the beard."
Rubinstein was at a disadvantage when he made this recording in 1976. Extreme old age had robbed him of much of his hearing, and macular degeneration had left him almost totally blind. While the 89 year old pianist gives his best effort, the performance suffers from numerous missed notes, clotted chords, and rhythmic distortions. In addition, tempos are unsteady, phrasing is tentative, and the performance as a whole lacks Rubinstein's usual structural continuity. Occasionally, a sense of nobility comes through, but this is in no way of the same caliber as Rubinstein's earlier recordings (from 1954, with Reiner and the Chicago Symphony on Volume 34; and from 1964 with Leinsdorf and the Boston Symphony Orchestra on Volume 59). Zubin Mehta and the Israel Philharmonic furnish a committed accompaniment. The recorded sound is fine, but the performance problems and lack of any filler pieces will disqualify this issue for all but the most fanatical Rubinstein enthusiasts. (Hank Drake on amazon.com