Superb Beethoven from Rubinstein and Szeryng
Hank Drake | Cleveland, OH United States | 01/22/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Arthur Rubinstein received his early training in a manner totally foreign to today's young students. His early teachers were Joseph Joachim (a close friend of Johannes Brahms) and Heinrich Barth. He was permitted by his teachers to give only occasional perfomances, required to attend numerous concerts, and played through the chamber repertoire with his fellow pupils. This is in contrast to the current generation which is consigned to the practice rooms of crowded conservatories (virtuoso factories, really) and bred to win competitions, often at the expense of true musical developement. As a result, Rubinstein was able to make the crossover between stunning virtuoso performances, and more intimate chamber music appearances.Henryk Szeryng first performed with Rubinstein in the 1950s. Immediately, their musical chemistry evolved into friendship, and it is this atmosphere which suffuses all of their recorded performances. There is a give-and-take in these performances which recalls the great chamber music recordings by Kreisler and Rachmaninoff. One never gets the sense that Rubinstein and Szeryng are trying "one-up" each other, yet there is a greater virtuosity than one usually hears in these pieces. A special highlight is the Scherzo movement of the "Spring" Sonata, where Rubinstein and Szeryng handle the tricky syncopation with infectious aplomb.The remastered sound is excellent in every respect, fully meeting the standards of the latest recordings."