Josef Hofmann plays Rubinstein Concerto No. 4 (1/4)

[lipatti0]

I failed to mention in the post of mine just a few moments ago that the VAI Audio item is a 2-CD set with many other works played by Hofmann including Brahms Chopin, Mendelsssohn, Rachmaninov, Moszkowski, Beethoven,Rachmaninov and two composed by Hofmann.

[lipatti0]

Many years ago in my youth I bought and still have the LP of this piano concerto played admirably by Oscar Levant with the New York Philharmonic under Dimitri Mitropolous. I currently have the VAI Audio CD  "The Complete Josef Hofmann- Vol. 2"in which the live performance of this work by Hofmann is contained. I bought it through Amazon.com if any of you are interested in buying it.

[anastasiabelina]

Rubinstein was such an amazing personality. Most of his concert reviews in all major 19-th century periodicals say the same thing--to hear him play was once in a life time experience. One of his contemporary musicians called Rubinstein a 'murderer of music' because he said that after hearing him play a piece, no one else's interpretation came even close. Rubinstein as a composer was not super amazing, but he played his own music in the way that it made it sound mesmerising.

[paulostroff99]

Astounding! TY.

[Bruce88keys]

I played this concerto as a kid because my teacher played it when he was a kid- I thought it was a total bore, and it is, which is a reason it fell out of the performance repetoire- Its derivative at best, better a young student spend time & work on a Mozart or Beethoven, something conductors would program.

[Gargantupimp]

@Bruce88keys this is boring to you? Either your from england or you need to get your head examined.

[Bruce88keys]

@Gargantupimp wow, your 2 for two- I am english and in therapy!

[Classicmozayfull]

@marklavar My god! I was wondering why he seemed so familiar to me!

[brassmonkeyjew]

Rachmaninoff called Hofmann his superior and Horowitz called his technique unbeatable. His few recordings don't do his playing/interpretation justice.

[billyguns2]

Didn't Artur Rubinstein make a recording of this wonderful piece? Hofmann is of course magnificent; he was truly one of the five or six greatest pianists of all time, along with Horowitz, Richter, Michelangeli, Rosenthal and ?

[RabidCh]

If he did I never heard of it... and if he really did, I want to hear it.

The ones I know of are Levant, Wuhrer, Hofmann 1, 2, and 3rd (without the 2nd movement), and Hamelin, and then some lesser known artists.

[RabidCh]

Oh yes... and Cherkassky. Although I haven't heard that one.

[TJFNYC212]

I am blessed to have had the occasion of hearing Cherkassky play this concerto with the NY Phil It was awesome he was grand student of Rubenstein, since he was a student of J Hofmann RIP He was a wonderful pixie type of man that I got the opportunity to meet and deal with

[NOSEhow2LIV]

Artur Rubinstein famously said that his only superiority over his great namesake was that he,(Artur), never published his compositions! In spite of a persistent, lingering scorn for Anton R, Artur R did record at least the Valse-Caprice,(played with spirit), and, I think, a Barcarolle or two(?). Cherkassky was marvellous, in his typically sly, slinky way in this concerto, and Earl Wild gave an impressively barnstorming performance on the radio.

[Deneb33]

I heard this on radio some years ago. It is without doubt a truly great romantic period work. I like it better than the Tchaikovsky, and think it is the equal of anything by Saint Saens or the Dvorak. I wish orchestras would put this one in their repertoire. All they seem to do each and every season is the Emperor concerto. Maybe down the road this AR concerto #4 will finally get its due.

[Gargantupimp]

@Deneb33 I think if more people played it like this than it would be much more appreciated.

[cdpiano27]

is it possible to get the score of this concerto? I just don't understand why Anton Rubinstein's music is not played more today!! I heard about this concerto but this is the first time I have ever heard it!!

[truecrypt]

Yes, it's available @ IMSLP site.

I'm sending you an URL by PM

[MsCrocodileTears]

@cdpiano27

Anton Rubinstein was very popular in Russia and early Soviet Union. Then due to antisemitic tendencies of the later years of Stalinism Rubinstein was almost faded out from public performances.

[gerryrains]

Radu Lupu was also a student of Neuhaus. He was an excellent performer, but in that era excellent wasn't good enough, especially with Richter's God-like presence towering over all of the other pianists.

[demosj]

Richter was a student of Neuhaus, as was Gilels.

[TJFNYC212]

thank you for posting this. I have always loved the first movement of this concerto. I heard Chura Cherkassky play it with the NY Phil once. Cherkassky was a student of Hoffmann, the student of Rubinstein WOW.

[malechubby]

this was the concerto of my late teacher Fe' A. Nava. She perform this concerto before WWII broke in 1942, she was under Sister Batig of germany, while studying this concerto sis. Batig told my teacher for every note in this decicate to our creator. When Miss Nava was alive she even played this for me and she wants me to study the piece for my college years, since i did.

[soami2u]

I searched for this concerto many times before but kept getting Art(h)ur Rubinstein! This concerto is something of a dinosaur, practically extinct. Hearing the composer's famous student playing it is a revelation. I can hear echoes of Tchaikovsky...and there are passages that can sound banal, but not in Hofmann's hands. Listening to this you can hear why everyone raved about Hofmann's tone

[GayPlaywright]

I've always loved this concerto but - as great as Hoffman was - I think I prefer the Oscar Levant recording with Mitropoulos.

[pianistmusic]

marvellous playing and deep understanding....spellbinding

[CALVINBYKELVIN]

Been looking for this for years!!! Thanks "truecrypt". This is a wonderful discovery!!!

[Grigor99]

I find something very special about this concerto. A deep sentimentality couple with a pervasive nostalgia that is very touching. I've always loved this piece and am grateful to hear Hofmann's playing of it. It is masterful. Years ago, I heard Joseph Banowitz doing it and it was not up to this level in any way, shape or means!

[hophmi]

Definitely the 1937 recording. The others from the 40s are no good because Hofmann's technique was not in good shape by then. This 1937 one is a total classic, as is just about everything from the Golden Jubilee performance, which features arguably the best Chopin First Ballade and Andante Spinato and Grande Polonaise ever recorded. The Rubinstein 4 is a good concerto, but Hofmann's playing makes it better than it is.

[Ahelphand]

a classic - yes, better than it is - meaningless statement.

[hophmi]

By the way, the conductor on this recording is Fritz Reiner. Damrosch was just the MC of the concert. The concerto is helped by this support; there's a very good rapport between Hofmann and the Curtis Orchestra.

In the hands of a great pianist, a piece can be elevated. What is meant is that the Rubinstein 4 is a good but not great concerto; Hofmann's playing makes it sound better than it is.

[weikko79]

Well, I was kind of expecting you to upload this. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! This is a great recording, and I've been looking for it for ages.

[LMJ314142]

Thank you! I'm glad I saw this piece. It's amazing.

[Joeey]

you should put the year of the performance/ recording.

[RabidCh]

1937

[truecrypt]

May be you *should* thank me first and only then ask for more info?

10 seconds search would reveal that it's 1945 recording, Detroit SO, conductor Kruger.

P.S. I had to delete your comments left for "Sviatoslav Richter plays Chopin Ballade" - too rude and no substance.

[Joeey]

ha. I knew it. I knew you would have some petty attitude since you have adopted this artist and assigned yourself as the keeper of the estate.

[Joeey]

Is it too much to ask, a little competence from the archivist, beyond what a teenager can do pressing "upload" to youtube?

-just making fun of you because you are such a serious twitt. richter would crush your hand, yah! gooooudt to meeet you!

[truecrypt]

I'm not against fun, but rudeness and stupidity. FYI - entering *complete* info on the upload source could lead to *unwanted consequences*.

So, my joyous twitt, learn the subject, upgrade your level of humor (preferably above the waste line) and your comments will be always welcome here. ;)

[RabidCh]

Damned, got it wrong. :(

[truecrypt]

Oops! YOU got it right! It is 1937 with Walter Dumrosch!

[RabidCh]

Interesting how many times Hofmann recorded this in comparison to other pieces... I guess it's something that stayed with him his whole life.

[snaaptaker]

1)Thank you so much, TC, first, for responding so quickly and graciously to my request; and, secondly, for the unexpected surprise.

I was expecting Hofmann's 1937 Golden Jubilee Concert. I had no idea that there was another recording. I thought it sounded "different", but I attributed that to the difference between listening to my LP on my stereo vs this clip through my little computer speakers.

Are there any other recordings of Hofmann playing this concerto?

[truecrypt]

Actually I think it's 1937 recording... I have several files and they were not "labeled" clearly. Poor consequences of being sloppy with archiving files! ;(

There are 2 recordings as I recall - 1937 and 1941 with Detroit SO, Kruger. If somebody could compare this clip and confirm one or another - it would be great! ;)

[snaaptaker]

I haven't listened to my old LP in quite awhile, but, just off the top of my head, it sounds different from this clip--performance (tempo, etc.) and recording sound. Of course, it could also be my "senior" memory.

As soon as I can, I'll drag out my old LP and see if I can spot a difference, even accounting for my stereo vs my computer.

I'll let you know as soon as possible what,if anything, I find out.

If anyone else finds it out before I do, great.

[RabidCh]

There's also a March 1945 recording with Kreueger and the First Movement and the Third Movement from 1944 and 1943 respectively, from the Bell Telephone Hour Broadcasts.

[snaaptaker]

Wonderful!!--the master playing his master's masterpiece!

The only other pianist who comes at all close to Hofmann in this piece is, IMO, his pupil, Cherkassky.

[weikko79]

When did Cherkassky record this concerto? More to the point, when was Cherkassky Hofmann's student???

[RabidCh]

He was Hofmann's student at Curtis.

[snaaptaker]

Cherkassky studied with Hofmann at the Curtis Institute on-and-off during the '20s and '30s.

He recorded this concerto (w/Ashkenazy and the RPO) for Decca/London in 1994. I have not yet heard it. In fact, until I just now did a Google search,I wasn't sure if they had released it. They have.

However, I have an old cassette of him playing it with the New York Phil., conducted by Leonard Slatkin, in 1987, which I taped off the radio. It's a marvelous performance.

I wish I could post it.

[TJFNYC212]

I heard Cherkassky play it not long before he died in NYC with the NY Phil is was awesome.......

[RabidCh]

When I saw the posting I was like "OH YES!".

Thanks!

[paulostroff99]

Awesome! Sensational! Bravo!

[paulostroff99]

itosshudream-Hofmann is acknowledged to have been the finest recorded pianist in recording history. Only Liszt and Lhevinne ,are mentioned in the same breath.According to Horowitz Levinne,Hoffman,and Rachmaninov were the 3 greatest pianists in recording history

[RabidCh]

And there are and were many people that for some reason or another don't like Hofmann.

(I'm not one of those people...)

[paulostroff99]

RabidCh-There is no accounting for bad taste! I suppose that the hearing impaired have some rights as well!