The master was in a rare mood, a mood of Olympian insights and penetrating eloquence...if he had intended this for a last will and testament, it could hardly have been more to his liking or more secure insurance for such immortality as any performer is allowed.

– Albert Goldberg, The Times, about the benefit concert for Israel at Ambassador Auditorium in January, 1975.


The CD is maddeningly uneven. There are some very imposing moments in the Beethoven sonata, but Rubinstein's technical limitations prevent me from enjoying the performance much. On the other hand, the Schumann pieces are considerably better, and Traumeswirren goes very quickly with reasonable accuracy. Maybe he just practiced this music more, or he took a while to warm up.

Many pianophiles will be picking up this disc just to hear Rubinstein play two Chopin Études, the only genre of Chopin's music he never recorded. Both of these performances are fine, and the facility required by the Étude in Co Minor is met very well, especially for an octogenarian. However, the Polonaise is a hash, and shows Rubinstein apparently willing to dispense with accuracy in the pursuit of grand effect. The audience falls for it in a big way but I didn't. The Debussy pieces are very well controlled, and the excellent recorded sound does the pianist's color justice.

In short, this is a very mixed bag, and it is recommended only with severe reservations. But if you'd be willing to pay almost anything to hear Rubinstein play a Chopin Étude, here he is playing two of them.

-- Leslie Gerber, FANFARE [5/1993]
reviewing an abridged version of this release, RCA 61160