Works on This Recording
1.
Concerto for Piano no 1 in E minor, B 53/Op. 11 by Frédéric Chopin
Performer:
Artur Rubinstein (Piano)
Conductor:
Sir John Barbirolli
Orchestra/Ensemble:
London Symphony Orchestra
Period: Romantic
Written: 1830; Poland
Date of Recording: 1937
2.
Concerto for Piano no 2 in F minor, B 43/Op. 21 by Frédéric Chopin
Performer:
Artur Rubinstein (Piano)
Conductor:
Sir John Barbirolli
Orchestra/Ensemble:
London Symphony Orchestra
Period: Romantic
Written: 1829-1830; Poland
Date of Recording: 1931
3.
Nocturnes (3) for Piano, Op. 15 by Frédéric Chopin
Performer:
Artur Rubinstein (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1830-1833
Date of Recording: 1936-37
4.
Nocturnes (2) for Piano, Op. 27 by Frédéric Chopin
Performer:
Artur Rubinstein (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1835; Paris, France
Date of Recording: 1936-37
5.
Nocturnes (2) for Piano, B 106/Op. 32 by Frédéric Chopin
Performer:
Artur Rubinstein (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1836-1837; Paris, France
Date of Recording: 1936-37
6.
Nocturnes (2) for Piano, Op. 37 by Frédéric Chopin
Performer:
Artur Rubinstein (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1838-1849; Paris, France
Date of Recording: 1936-37
7.
Nocturnes (2) for Piano, B 142/Op. 48 by Frédéric Chopin
Performer:
Artur Rubinstein (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1841; Paris, France
Date of Recording: 1936-37
8.
Nocturnes (2) for Piano, B 152/Op. 55 by Frédéric Chopin
Performer:
Artur Rubinstein (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1843; Paris, France
Date of Recording: 1936-37
9.
Nocturnes (2) for Piano, B 161/Op. 62 by Frédéric Chopin
Performer:
Artur Rubinstein (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1846; Paris, France
Date of Recording: 1936-37
10.
Nocturne for Piano in E minor, B 19/Op. 72 no 1 by Frédéric Chopin
Performer:
Artur Rubinstein (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1827; Poland
Date of Recording: 1936-37
11.
Nocturnes (3) for Piano, B 54/Op. 9 by Frédéric Chopin
Performer:
Artur Rubinstein (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1830-1831; Poland
Date of Recording: 1936-37
Customer Reviews
Average Customer Review: 
( 1 Customer Review )
Dazzling & Poetic Chopin from the 1930s Rubinstein December 16, 2011
By T. Drake (South Euclid, OH) See All My Reviews
"For those who know Rubinstein's Chopin only from his stereo recordings, this 2-CD set of Concertos and Nocturnes will come as something of a shock. Rubinstein made three official recordings of the E minor Concerto, and four of the F minor Concerto. (There is an additional, filmed performance of the F minor from 1975.) As was customary during the 78RPM era, the introductions of both concertos are shortened here. Rubinstein's tempos are faster than in later versions, with greater use of rubato and freer phrasing. There are some inconsequential mistakes here and there (both on the part of the pianist and the orchestra), but they are understandable given the fact that editing of recordings was not possible then. Despite the occasional fluffs, and the dated sound, I prefer these versions to Rubinstein's later versions. The London Symphony Orchestra under John Barbirolli provides a strong accompaniment to these often underrated works. As with the Concerto, Rubinstein's 1936-1937 Nocturnes are far different from his 1960s stereo version. His approach to these miniatures is markedly freer, with more sensitive shades of pianissimo (Rubinstein's quiet passages became louder as time progressed, possibly due to hearing loss), and far more pronounced use of rubato. As with his other two versions of these works, Rubinstein ever allows sentiment (empathy) to be confused with sentimentality (schmaltz), and the inherent dignity and structural integrity of Chopin's music is preserved. Considering that these recordings come from the 1930s, the sound restoration is astonishing. There has been some filtering of surface noise, but the high frequencies are well preserved. The balance in the Concerto is acceptable, although the piano has a somewhat "tubby" sound that one usually associates with Decca/London recordings. "
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