Arthur Rubinstein plays Chopin (vaimusic.com)

[MsTinyTeaPot]

*sigh*



[ATwinsKid]

Just FYI: It's "SUPERCALIFRAGILISTICEXPIALIDO­TIOUS." .. And I agree, you hippie!

Superb music, Genius with those keys.

[nearenough3]

I love Ruby. He's so corny with that Hollywood setting it makes me chuckle. But he's a good player, so he can get away with it. Cheers and Happy New Year.

[schonklang]

Bella ed affascinante donna Nela..è stata accanto a Rubinstein una vita intera, e no meritava di essere "scaricata" a 70 anni per una sgallettata di segretaria..

[scout6686]

def in my top3 fav chopin nocturnes

[BUZZUBUZZU]

insuperable.

[RichieCarvaliho]

@BUZZUBUZZU

interesting word to use here. i would have said supercalifragilipiespialedotio­us

[jcsiegelman]

One of my favorites... and so is Arthur Rubinstein. His interpretation of Chopin's nocturnes must have been just what Chopin intended in my opinion--and in the opinion of my Polish piano professor too.

[amomentarydiversion]

I...I <i>remember</i> this. How, how could that be? I remember being in a room once with my...my...father and he was playing... Oh my, I remember it all now! My past! My name! I'm an...oh, that can't be. Oh no, I've got to find her, I've got to know....

[BecuzIt]

@amomentarydiversion LOL 

[ThePaczki]

@amomentarydiversion,

We were all in that room and will forever be . . .

[davsone]

For me music is music. And listening to it like here with all these overacting is just disappointing. That's why I hate live performances and all the audience of it besides I love classical tunes so and hope one day it will be treated like a "normal" music for everyone....

[RebeckaSarkozy]

Dreamy.....

[mamanatties]

mooi meziek

[SpookyLemming]

Stylish and artistic but not as spirited as I feel Chopin's beautiful music should be played.

[hathor100]

amazing!!

[Bryseyas]

OUTSTANDING. UNIQUE

[harquitectura]

First 200! and still sounding great!

[mattttera]

I just want to say, HAPPY BIRTDAY FREDERIC, you are two hundred years old! And still going strong!

[scout6686]

@mattttera its called timeless and his music is amazing

[TheRunner75]

Anderszewski is only ordinary. Rubinstein is simply the best with Magaloff, Vasary and Pollini coming close.

[meredith218461]

What about Ashkenazy?.

[TheRunner75]

I don't like his waltzes he's playing way too fast. I don't know his nocturnes. I heard some samples of Pirès Nocturnes. The Portuguese pianist has got the right touch, the right rubato but she's playing some Nocturnes too fast (#15 in F minor). However Rubinstein didn't record the Nocturnes #20 and 21 and João is pure magic there.

[meredith218461]

I suggest you listen to Ashkenazys nocturnes. To my ears he brings a natural sence of poetry expressed through an irresitably translucent tone, having said that he does play the famous E flat op9 too fast for my taste. I'm unfamiliar with his recording of the waltzes.

[ashleylynnjoan]

Rubinstein's got it right. He's in the right setting. The people aren't chatting, they're listening intently, because that's what Chopin's music was intended for. He rarely performed in public. When he did, it was to small private audiences like this one in French salons, who didn't want background music. They wanted to listen to what the artist had to say. Hats off to Rubinstein for keeping the faith.

[jakountz1]

@ashleylynnjoan He was a professional performer...

[TheKeilaurdaneta]

WAOOO it remember me of My ex.. he used to play this piece all the time

[jabberwock01]

typo - rubato

I don't deny that he R was very much admired in his own era.

[jabberwock01]

Sorry, but I absolutely hate the way Rubinstein plays Chopin - upright and formal, reflecting the society Rubinstein lived in - yes, including the aristocrats. And all those layers of heavy rubrato in his style, ruining the flow. Adds up to music which is not meaningful to me. Tastes change as society changes. And there's nothing socialist about that fact.

Compare him to Fliter and Anderszewski for meaningful, expressive playing.

[LisaRuping]

Most stylish and artistic playing I've ever heard. Arthur Rubenstein's confidence is amazing. His control of the tonality and impeccable tecqunique is second to none. The speed, and flow, the turbulent middle section of this piece for him seems to be effortless.

[vstasov]

Long live VAI.  Thank you for supporting the arts.

[meredith21846]

Elegance,poetry,impeccably conveyed. What else is there to say!.

[david213redmond]

aristocracy and the byproduct of imperialism...not criticizing the musician, but look at those motionless background figures with their smart clothes and pretty furnitures

[meredith21846]

I had'nt read your socialist observations into this rare footage of Rubinstein. I simply love is interpretation of this nocturne.

[gatesurfer]

Separate out the top voice and figure out how it plays against the bass. It needs to have the right flow. Then fill in the middle voices to try to shape each beat. They shouldn't be even, rubato is perfectly acceptable. Flow is important.

[Landmanrasmussen]

Thanks, so tender, beautiful choice of this piece.

[paulostroff99]

Beautifully played by one of the Chopin Greats.

Bravo! TY.

[billyguns2]

The more I think about it, the more I believe that the Nocturnes are among Chopin's greatest compositions. The Mazurkas are uniquely wonderful, too, but the Nocturnes really grab me every time. Heavenly, fantastic creations! They must be played as a great singer would sing them!

[retrogamerdave]

well, the singign thing is pretty much true of all CHopin...but the Nocturnes do tend to be more contemplative, emphasizing the singing nature of Chopin's melodies.

[sasha42196]

billyguns, I can't really think anything of Chopin that's not great. Even his salon music is genius. Every single etude, prelude, nocturn, waltz, etc., even things he wrote when still a teenager, are a treasure.

[meredith218461]

I agree, they are some of the greatest works from the whole romantic era.

[csutilla]

Toata stima pt. acest om si artist de excertie!

[billyguns2]

Rubinstein, Lipatti, Arrau, Moravec and Pires are my favorite players of Chopin; this is beautiful. If you want to hear Chopin butchered, check out Pollini playing the Db major Nocturne.

[libetta]

yeah, i hated that video. pollini was always playing too fast it was not appropriate for nocturnes

[juskisiberiano]

You know what you are talking about indeed.

[retrogamerdave]

what's funny is that Pollini can play almost everything (Chopin in particular) so unaffected, and then play Chopin's Barcarolle as sensitively as anybody! It's pretty weird, but true.

[Shalev15]

Pollini is ALWAYS cold in my ears

[meredith21846]

@Shalev15 Ageed, give me Ingrid Fliter any day. She's also better looking.

[paulostroff99]

billyguns2-Anything wrong with the Chopin played by Cortot or Michelangeli!

[horiabogdan]

tot ce poate fii mai frumos

[perseus07]

Master Rubinstein playing Chopin makes his listeners feel life is really beautiful

[libetta]

what year was this video?

[heroicpolonaise]

1952

[heroicpolonaise]

1952

[Berceuse59]

He always plays so emotional and brilliant too ! Great video !

[fredericchopin24]

excellent "night" quality

[feffolino]

A GENIUS AND HIS MUSIC