Anton Rubinstein enjoyed a considerable reputation both as a piano virtuoso the equal of Liszt, and for a stream of distinctive compositions that include symphonies and operas. He was also responsible for revolutionising standards in teaching and performance in his native Russia. Yet it is only now, some 125 years after his death, that posterity is reassessing his very real achievement as a gifted and original composer whose works are notable for their melodic memorability and extraordinary variety of textures.
Anton RUBINSTEIN (1829–1894)
Piano Music
Three Caprices, Op. 21 • Six Pieces, Op. 51
Sergio Gallo, PianoAnton Rubinstein occupied an uneasy place in the history of Russian music, largely because of his Jewish origins and the perception of him as a ‘German in Russia’. In recent years his solo piano music has begun to be re-evaluated. This album focuses on the series of works written in the mid-1850s and reveals music of charm and flair. The Three Pieces, Op. 16 are conventional in form but attractive, and the Two Pieces, Op. 28 contain a strongly contrasted Nocturne and Caprice. More ambitious, and intended to be performed in his concert repertoire as one of the greatest virtuosos of the age, are the Six Pieces, Op. 51.
No. 6. Coquetterie
– Fanfare
– Fanfare
– American Record Guide