Search - Enrique Granados, Manuel de Falla, Isaac Albeniz :: Rubinstein Collection, Vol. 18

Rubinstein "Speaks" Spanish Without an Accent

Hank Drake | Cleveland, OH United States | 01/01/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"After Alicia De Larrocha, Arthur Rubinstein was the 20th century's greatest exponent of Spanish piano music. On his first tour of Spain, in 1915, the Polish pianist fell in love with the country--its food, wine, women, and music. The love was mutual. Spain took Rubinstein to heart and he became friends with some of the composers featured on this CD. Critical reactions to Rubinstein's performances of Spanish music were ecstatic--many musicians remarking that he played Spanish music "without an accent," i.e., like a born Spaniard.



The performances on this CD were recorded from 1941-1955. Every track on this disc demonstrates what the critics in Spain wrote: Rubinstein had a natural feel for this repertoire that defied born nationality. Particularly effective are the Albeniz and Falla selections.



It is a pity that Rubinstein was not persuaded to re-record all of these works in stereo (there are stereo versions of Falla's Fire Dance, Nights in the Gardens of Spain, and Albeniz's Navarra), as there are those closed-minded individuals who will refuse to buy this CD simply because the recordings featured on it are monaural. The loss is theirs.



The sound has been superbly remastered."

Rubinstein Topples de Larrocha

William T. Bajzek | 02/10/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Dear Readers, Rubinstein does not deserve to be mentioned in the same sentence with de Larrocha. The fact is that he "LOVED" Spanish music and de Larrocha made her career on it. It's very beautiful what she does, but Rubinstein goes to the heart everytime. You'll get a glimpse of this if you compare the two. They are in very different zones."

Rubinstein's Love Affair with Spain

Doug - Haydn Fan | California | 09/06/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Arthur Rubinstein was from the earliest days of his long fabled career a proponent of the music of Spain. Whether in that extraordinary follow-up to the protean display pieces of Liszt, Albeniz's Iberia, or the memorable lyrical passages of the ill-fated Granados, Rubinstein's way with this music stood out in that bygone era of legendary virtuosi. (Of note - Granados tragically was killed trying in vain to rescue his wife following a U-boat attack on their return to Barcelona following the succesful 1916 Met premiere of his opera Goyescas. His success was so great in America he even played at the White House for President Wilson. The CD has one selection from Goyescas, the famous "The Maiden and the Nightingale" in a wonderfully evocative performance by Rubinstein.)

At the same time as the Goyescas' Met premiere the young Artur Rubinstein was traveling across the breadth of the Iberian peninsula, giving over a hundred concerts between 1916 and 1917. Rubinstein became friends with the Albeniz family. (The composer had died in 1909.) He became a huge public favorite and was feted far and wide in Spain, including by the Spanish Royal family. Throughout his life he kept a home in Spain in that extraodinary Costa del Sol cityscape that is Marbella. Rubinstein's appreciation for Spain and Spanish music was unparalled among any other non-Spanish performers of the last century.

This selection was made according to the back cover between 1947 and 1955, but actually, as one reviewer correctly noted, the earliest recording, Navarra from Iberia, was made earlier, in June of 1941. The remainder are from 1947 or later. The performance of the delightful Spanish piano concerto, De Falla's Noches en los Jardins de Espana, captures Rubinstein at the peak of his career - his later stereo performance lacks the froth, sparkle and genuine magic given off in this version. The piano sounds wonderful and has been superbly restored in this issue. The only downside to this CD is that it represents most of the Spanish music Rubinstein recorded.

If you thought Rubinstein simply meant Chopin then this CD will certainly be a revelation. Some of the greatest Spanish piano music played by one of its greatest interpretators. Highest possible recomendation!

P.S. When a customer searches for this title why does Amazon insist on listing an old no longer available CD of this RCA CD and not this much more recent and in stock remastering? This version has a drawing of Rubinstein by Picasso."