Anton Rubinstein always regretted that his status as an elite pianist eclipsed his reputation as a composer. Recent recordings have shown that his music is melodically distinguished and attractive, as these two major works from the mid-1860s show. Cast on a wide canvas, the Fantasia in E minor conforms to Romantic grandeur in it's gestures, which also include Beethovenian echoes in the finale. The Five Pieces are condensed character studies, evoking Chopin and Schumann, and ending with a brilliant Toccata. The Trot de cavalerie, a march for mounted troops, was a popular genre in the 19th century.

Rubinstein, A.: Cello Sonatas Nos. 1 and 2

Classical Music

Whatever else there is to say about this CD, Duo Pianistico di Firenze who celebrated twenty years as a piano-four-hands ensemble in 2011, have done a simply superb job here in terms of their faultless playing and impeccable ensemble. This is all the more commendable, too, since this is not just a disc of lightweight miniatures, but a supreme challenge technically for both performers. The crux, though, is whether it was all really worth the effort, in terms of the music itself.

Essentially there are two components on this CD, the first of a projected set to include all the music for piano (four hands) by Anton Rubinstein. There’s the four-movement Sonata and the two sets of Characteristic Pieces. The present CD opens with the Sonata, and then follows with the other two sets, given chronologically. Just as with any recording – or indeed live performance – playing order, rather like a hand in poker, can have an important outcome both for the immediate impression this creates and the lasting one for the listener.

Clearly from Bartolucci and Alessandrini’s sleeve-notes – which Elizabeth Hancock has made a good job of translating faithfully into English – one reason for going with the almost thirty-six minute Sonata first, might be the esteem in which the Duo holds this work. They write: ‘The Sonata Op. 89 is the first great sonata for piano four hands, and perhaps the only vast cyclic composition for two pianists in the Russian repertoire’. Two things stand out here: firstly, in terms of sonatas for piano four-hands, the vast majority of sonatas per se come from the Classical period, with Mozart providing the greatest number. Those specifically from the ensuing Romantic era – which would embrace Rubinstein’s work – include examples by Hermann Goetz, Kalkbrenner, Moscheles, and Mussorgsky, so, and with no disrespect intended, hardly pre-eminent names in the history of music. Secondly, although of minor factual importance, Rubinstein, while Russian-born, writes in pure Germanic style, rather than exhibiting any of the traits of Russian nationalism seen in the works of ‘The Mighty Five’ – Cui, Borodin, Balakirev, Mussorgsky and Rimsky-Korsakov. Even though Mussorgsky’s early sonata is incomplete, the second movement is eminently more ‘Russian’ in character than anything in the Rubinstein.

The opening movement is almost sixteen minutes long, and while there are indeed some quite purple patches in the quality of the writing, there are also parts which could be pruned to good effect, to stop the piece – which the Duo describes as ‘a rhapsody, although contained within a classic sonata form’ – from sounding somewhat rambling and amorphous. The second movement is an effective Scherzo which hints both at Mendelssohn and Beethoven, combined with suggestions of the ‘Dies Irae’ in the bass, and has a more pastoral trio. The third movement is described as ‘extremely innovative in that it has no real final Allegro’. In practice what this means is that, for almost nine of its nearly twelve minutes’ duration, it functions as a conventional slow movement, before tacking on unchanged the same ‘Allegro assai’ coda from the first movement to bring about a somewhat more resounding finish to the sonata overall. Yes, in one respect, the word ‘cyclic’ mentioned above might seem justified – or perhaps Rubinstein just wanted to bring this lengthy work to a close in the most expedient fashion – by attaching ‘something he’d made earlier’, rather than coming up with new material. In fact, while the Duo definitely seems to want to promote all the composer’s output in the genre, and the Sonata for its own sake, even they appear to have some doubts in their closing paragraph: (The Sonata is) ‘too difficult for amateurs, snubbed by the concert performers because it is not for soloists, too long for the general public, too melodious for musicians. But if you have the patience to listen to it without prejudice you will find that it is full of beauty, as is all Rubinstein’s music’. Essentially, then. the choice is yours.

The Three Characteristic Melodies Op. 9 — this is the only place where ‘Melodies’ rather than ‘Pieces’ is used — by comparison, are described as: ‘… obviously the minor work of a young boy with little experience but great potential: the many evident harmonic errors and the discrepancies between the various editions display the editors’ efforts to correct certain unhappy solutions here and there; in fact Rubinstein disowned these youthful pieces.’

Frankly I find these pieces more attractive, and even in the opening Chanson Russe, there is a certain ‘Russianness’, or at least East-European nostalgia, which is nowhere to be heard in the Sonata. True, the other two pieces – Nocturne sur l’eau and La cataracte respectively, are very much in the vein of the typical ‘characteristic piece’ written by many a composer for the medium. Equally, the way that, in La cataracte, the melody is nearly always in octaves in the ‘primo’ (top) part, might suggest its conception as a teaching piece for student and teacher.

While the Six Characteristic Pieces, Op. 50 are chronologically, if not musically-speaking, quite ‘The work of an expert, mature and responsible maestro’, again they make for pleasant and easy listening. The opening Nocturne is nicely melodious, while the Scherzo has almost the Italianate quality and nimbleness of the Tarantella from Mendelssohn’s Italian Symphony. The Barcarolle is perhaps now better known in a version for solo piano. The Capriccio is again attractive, in the salon-style of Moszkowski, while the Trio, with its syncopations, suggests the similar movement from Beethoven’s Sonata in E flat, Op. 31 No. 3, which Saint-Saëns used to great effect in his Variations on a Theme of Beethoven, Op. 35. Interestingly, here Rubinstein reprises the Trio after the return of the scherzo-like main theme of the Capriccio, thus producing an A-B-A-B shape.

The Berceuse has a main theme again cast in a melancholy C minor, which does have a very slight Russian feel to it, while the central major-key section is suitably passionate. There is a very short chorale-like coda to end the work in the tonic major key. The final March provides both a fine pianistic conclusion to the set, as well as the CD as a whole, and is vaguely reminiscent of the opening movement from Rachmaninov’s Suite for Two Pianos, Op. 17. It’s certainly not difficult to feel the two pianists’ great sense of achievement and accomplishment as they coincide triumphantly on the unison which closes the piece.

In the final analysis, while I think that Duo Pianistico di Firenze’s obvious, and undoubtedly genuine enthusiasm for the music of Anton Rubinstein is well-intentioned, for me the Characteristic Pieces (Melodies) are actually what Rubinstein does best. By contrast, the over-long Sonata is structurally wanting, and perhaps distinguished only by its length and the players’ necessary powers of endurance, in a field where there are but few claims to fame.

Given that the CD is extremely competitively priced, the Steinway piano superbly recorded and the playing is of the very highest order, this disc of attractive and unfamiliar piano music for four hands is well worth acquiring.

-- Philip R Buttall, MusicWeb International

Conductor, virtuoso pianist, founder of the St Petersburg Conservatory and composer of solo works, symphonies and operas, Anton Rubinstein (1829–1894) is a key figure in Russian musical culture and achieved international celebrity during his lifetime. In the midst of a busy world touring schedule, he also found time to be composition teacher to Tchaikovsky. Often only selected pieces from Rubinstein’s piano four-hands repertoire are performed, but in a rare feat, Duo Pianistico di Firenze take on the full 20 movements of the epic suite Bal Costumé. Excluding the opening and closing movements, the Suite is a musical depiction of the fashionable masked balls frequented by the elite. The elaborate costumes, the dancing and, in particular, the interaction between two characters, one male and the other female are represented in the music. Each movement references different historical periods from the 12th to the 18th century and although largely romantic in style, the movements nod to their corresponding era with baroque inflections. Toréador et Andalouse, with its distinctly Spanish feel, is the most famous movement and is often performed as a stand-alone piece. The movement is fast-paced and concise, complimented by a memorable melody-line sprinkled with chromaticisms. Although Bal Costumé can work as a collection of individual pieces, the effect is most profound when appreciated as a whole, transporting the listener to Rubinstein’s musical plane. The Introduction sets the scene in a bold symphonic mood, then moves through folk-songs, Arabian dances and a military parade before reaching the climatic final movement: Danses. This extravagant finale begins as a Great Waltz becoming a jubilant Polka and then a whirling Galop. Coupled with the recording of Rubinstein’s sonatas and Characteristic Pieces that launched this series (Rubinstein: Music for Piano 4 Hands Volume 1 BC95016), this new release is unique in its dedication to the composer and his repertoire. Admired by Mendelssohn, Schonberg, Rachmaninov and Chopin, friends with Liszt and Saint-Saëns and adored by fans around the globe, Rubinstein has had a monumental impact on Russian musical traditions and education. The breadth and depth of his music deserves to be heard today.

It is difficult to overstate the breadth of contribution of Anton Rubinstein to the development of the Russian culture in the 19th century. His multifaceted genius can be divided into three areas- Rubinstein the composer, the pianist, and the educator. In this second release in the series of recordings of his works for piano and orchestra, we focus on Rubinstein’s role as a composer. Hailed by The New York Times as a pianist of “a fiery sensibility and warm touch,” Anna Shelest is an international award-winning pianist who has thrilled audiences throughout the world. Champion of esoteric repertoire, Anna is collaborating with legendary conductor Neeme Jarvi on this project, which will eventually record the complete works for piano and orchestra by Anton Rubinstein. The first album in the set was released in 2018 to critical acclaim.

It is difficult to overstate the breadth of contribution of Anton Rubinstein to the development of the Russian culture in the 19th century. His multifaceted genius can be divided into three areas- Rubinstein the composer, the pianist, and the educator. In this first release in the series of recordings of his works for piano and orchestra, we focus on Rubinstein’s role as an educator. The album brings into light the effect Rubinstein had on the advancement of the Russian musical style in the 19th and 20th centuries. Hailed by The New York Times as a pianist of “a fiery sensibility and warm touch,” Anna Shelest is an international award-winning pianist who has thrilled the audiences she’s been in front of all over the world. Born in Ukraine, she began her studies at the age of six, and at the age of eleven she performed at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris. Her repertoire ranges from the Baroque to today’s contemporary composers. She has a particular affinity for Russian piano literature. Having received her Masters Degree at The Juilliard School, Anna Shelest currently resides in New York City with her husband and two sons. The Orchestra Now is group of vibrant young musicians from across the globe who are making orchestral music relevant to 21st century audiences. Hand-picked from the world’s leading conservatories, the members of TON are not only thrilling audiences with their critically acclaimed performances, but also enlightening curious minds by giving on stage demonstrations.

... a work written by a young, ebullient, but quite mature talent, and distinguished, beyond it's broad scope and youthful freshness, by a remarkably unified conception. Thus did Russian master P.I. Tchaikovsky describe the long-neglected "Ocean" Symphony (Symphony No. 2 in C Major, Op. 42 - Original Version) by Anton Rubinstein, his composition teacher at (and the founder of) the St. Petersburg Conservatory. His "Ocean" symphony is a bold and highly original programmatic work that convincingly evokes the struggle of man against the elemental forces that rule the seas. Echoes of composers like Mendelssohn and Schumann are heard in the work, no doubt the result of Rubinstein's European training and exposure - yet there remains a certain Russian pathos and earthiness. Also heard here is a colorful suite of dances from Rubinstein's oriental-flavored opera, Feramors. Igor Golovschin and his Russian State Symphony Orchestra provide skillful and idiomatically true performances.

The lasts in Delos’ Russian Disc recordings of seldom-heard Russian music, this release offers Don Quixote and Ivan IV, his two “symphonic pictures” of memorable characters, in performances that have long been ranked as being the best available. Many of Rubinstein’s contemporaries considered these unique works to be among the finest music he wrote.

Anton Rubinstein was the equal of Liszt as a pianist and a technically gifted composer but, in his own words, he was perceived by his contemporaries as too German to be Russian and too Russian to be German, and his music was frequently disparaged. Although occasionally derivative, the first two sonatas are impressively bravura and passionate works which pianist Han Chen approaches as if reading a 19th-century Russian novel, digging down to the very essence of the human soul. It is perhaps an irony of the history of taste that Rubinstein's very real achievements are beginning to be valued only some 125 years after his death.

How Anton Rubinstein in the end succeeded in creating a comprehensive oeuvre covering all the genres while making breathtaking concert and traveling rounds as a pianist is something that numbers among the incomprehensibilities of his life marked by a tireless work ethos. During the course of his busy life on the go he composed more than a dozen operas, six symphonies, an oratorio, a ballet, some two hundred songs, countless works for piano solo and for piano in the concerto style and with orchestral accompaniment, and chamber music for various formations with and without piano. He also composed ten string quartets, two of which are now being released on cpo. Rubinstein composed these works during his time in Leipzig, and the Reinhold Quartet, whose members are musicians of the Gewandhaus Orchestra in Leipzig, offer powerful interpretations of them. The two Quartets Nos. 1 and 3 in minor keys from op. 47 are on the one hand subtly linked together motivically and on the other hand most highly different in design. Especially striking triplet motifs livening up in the secondary segments, refined motivic transformations, and fortissimo outbursts of absolutely orchestral might – these are all typical characteristics of Rubinstein’s quartet style. And what might possibly top the impressive conclusion of the first quartet? The gigantic, virtuosic, and harmonically and formally bolder conclusion of the third quartet, that’s what!

SONATES POUR VIOLONCELLE

Rubinstein: Violin Concerto, Op. 46 / Don Quixote, Op. 87

RUBINSTEIN: Symphony No. 4, 'Dramatic'

RUBINSTEIN : Symphony No. 1