Rubinstein, Artur

Rubinstein, Artur

(born Jan. 28, 1887, Lodz, Pol.—died Dec. 20, 1982, Geneva, Switz.) Polish-U.S. pianist. His studies with Joseph Joachim led to a debut in Berlin in 1900. He later studied with Ignacy Jan Paderewski as well and performed with moderate success. After some years accompanying the violinist Eugène Ysaye (1858–1931), he stopped performing for five years (1932–37) to improve his technique and reemerged as a giant of 20th-century music. Moving to the U.S., he became equally noted as soloist and chamber musician, with such partners as Jascha Heifetz and Gregor Piatigorsky (1903–76). Active through his 80s, his repertoire ranged from Johann Sebastian Bach to 20th-century Spanish composers; his playing of Frédéric Chopin and Johannes Brahms was particularly admired.

---

Rubinstein, Artur 

Born Jan. 28, 1887, in Łódz. Polish pianist.

Rubinstein studied piano with A. Rózycki in Warsaw, with H. Barth and R. M. Breithaupt in Berlin, and later, with I. Paderewski in Morges, Switzerland. He made his debut in 1898 in Berlin. In 1910 he won a prize at an international pianists’ and composers’ competition organized in 1890 in St. Petersburg. He has toured many countries, including Russia (1910, 1911, and 1912) and the USSR (1934 and 1964). In 1939 he moved to the USA, and since 1954 he has lived in France.

Rubinstein’s pianism is virtuosic and elegant, as well as romantic, characterized by a poetic spirit, great emotionality, and color. His repertoire includes the complete works of Chopin, which he has recorded, as well as pieces by Schumann, Liszt, Brahms, K. Szymanowski, and various 20th-century Spanish composers. Rubinstein has performed in ensembles with J. Heifetz and G. Piatigorsky. He has also appeared in motion pictures. Rubinstein’s memoirs, My Young Years, were published in 1973.

REFERENCES

Rabinovich, D. “Artur Rubinshtein.” Muzykal’naiazhizn’, 1964, no. 22.
Mar, N. “Beseduia s Arturom Rubinshteinom.” Sovetskaia muzyka, 1965, no. 2.
Khentova, S. Artur Rubinshtein. Moscow, 1971.

D. A. RABINOVICH