Teatro arthur rubinstein biography book

Did Rubinstein really not know "Smudge" was his son? Did it occur to him at least that he might be, given that he was sleeping with Muriel at the time she became pregnant? I guess I'll have to read the sequel to find out. This memoir only covers his childhood in Lodz up to about the middle of the First World War. He's still a bachelor when we say au revoir.

The other thing that makes young Rubinstein unlikable is that in addition to being a horndog he was an incurable bon vivant who found it nearly impossible to economize. This was fine as long as his aristocratic friends and sponsors, of which there were many, were footing his bills or advancing him money. These were times filled with lobster, caviar, and champagne dinners, nighttime entertainments, and gambling.

But when these friends weren't around, Rubinstein would descend into abject poverty. His Polish family was solidly bourgeois until his father was ruined by a serious business downturn, so they were rarely able to help him with money. One thing I will sympathize with him on is the need for artists not to give away their talent as if it is charity.

In America, both Mrs. Birdie Vanderbilt and Mrs. Cornelius Vanderbilt, of all people, stiffed Rubinstein after he had played "professionally" at their parties. And Pablo Casals, with whom Rubinstein played a concert in London, never gave him his cut of the proceeds. As you would expect with a memoir of a rising artist of enormous talent from the early 20th century, the cast of characters is incredible.

The composer Karol Szymanowski was one of Rubinstein's closest friends. Oddly, though Szymanowski was gay in real life, in the memoir he seems to be heterosexual. Paderewski hosted the very young Rubinstein at his estate. Proust attended one of his concerts. Busoni attended another. Modest Tchaikovsky, Pyotr Ilyich's brother, was a friend who helped him procure concert engagements.

Rubinstein had a long conversation about The Rite of Spring with Stravinsky after hearing it performed for the first time. Stravinsky didn't know Rubinstein was a pianist, he just thought he was a random man very interested in music.

Teatro arthur rubinstein biography book: Rubinstein: a life ; Publication

He came to know Sergei Diaghilev, and one day ran into Picasso. Baron George Curzon hosted him at his estate. He saw Maxim Gorky at a cafe one day. And oddest of all, one day in St. Petersburg he saw a dirty, bedraggled man sitting in a room surrounded by acolytes, whom he later realized was Rasputin. In spite of the occasional moments of seriousness, such as a failed suicide attempt because he had no money to pay his bills and his hunger in Paris during the First World War which didn't last long as he quickly acquired new aristocratic sponsorsthe overall tone of the narrative is very light-hearted, superficial, and self-serving.

I found it rather off-putting. It's hard to tell how much is truth and how much tonal embellishment. Of most interest to me were the passages where he talks about specific pieces of music, or approaches to playing. The world was very lucky to have Arthur Rubinstein, the pianist and musician. Richard Jespers. Author 2 books 22 followers. Renowned pianist Rubinstein publishes this autobiography in his mid-eighties, yet it is seemingly written by someone who has a great memory of his life.

By way of his own recognizance, his memory is superior early on. He can memorize anything, particularly music, very quickly. And also by his admission, he is a bit lazy—a quirk he must overcome later in life I shall have to read his accompanying biography, My Many Years to see if it is true. Instead of attacking a piece with necessary technique, he often performs by emphasizing emotional interpretation as he glosses over difficult passages he has not mastered.

Teatro arthur rubinstein biography book: The personal recollections of the piano

He celebrates an uncanny manner of always being saved at the last second from destitution he calls these times deus ex machina moments in which he is to but ask or hint to the right person and he receives a loan or an outright gift of cash or sometimes paying concerts that put his budget back in the black again. Sometimes, good things happen out of the blue.

He makes many friends, including persons of royalty, distinguished musicians and composers for example when he spots Igor Stravinsky at an event, he makes a point of speaking with the man, begging for an audience, and they wind up being fast friends. While not a literary book, this entertaining tome is well-written by a multilingual man who possesses a great command over the English language.

It is delightful reading that kept me turning page after page. Dan Leo. Author 8 books 32 followers. A very enjoyable memoir of a man who, in the words of Lord Buckley, stomped the terra. This was a man who knew how to live, who had an enormous love for people, for literature, for theatre, for visual arts, and, of course, for music — and not only for classical music, as he was completely capable of loving popular music-hall performances and Spanish gypsy music and dancing performed in a cave outside Sevilla.

Teatro arthur rubinstein biography book: “My Many Years” is a

Luckily for us, he also knew how to write very well, and had a truly amazing memory, bringing to live events and mental activities seventy or more years in his past. Imagine my happiness on just discovering that he also wrote another memoir covering the rest of his life The great pianist's story, life that was never to easy but somehow always turned lucky in the long way.

An unique insight into ones life, love and pain. This is not a book you would perhaps immediately pick up from a shelf without knowing about its background and the man behind the hands. But once you take it you will travel far away, to different countries, time, through many beautiful piano masterpieces. Author 30 books 49 followers. Betty Confetti.

Pianist Arthur Rubinsteinapart from being a world-renowned performer for more than 65 years, also wrote a bestselling autobiography, My Young Years. Sachs, author of an admired study of Toscanini, is therefore up against formidable competition? His study is detailed, fair-minded and vivid.

Teatro arthur rubinstein biography book: Rubinstein wrote 2 biographies, this one

Rubinstein was vastly egocentric in his private life, yet appeared genuinely transformed by his music-making, which seemed often to come across better on recordings than in person and helped make him the bestselling classical pianist ever. A tireless womanizer, he was middle-aged before he married a woman 22 years his junior and had children. In the last decade of his life, he began a liaison with a young English concert promoter, Annabelle Whitestone now married to British publisher Sir George Weidenfeld.

Rubinstein seems never to have overcome his sad childhood, but the pleasure he gave and continues to give to millions was his true legacy. The book includes an outstanding review, by the author, of Rubinstein's recordings and a fine discography by Donald Manildi. Photos not seen by PW. Convert currency. Add to basket. Condition: Acceptable.

Item in very good condition! Textbooks may not include supplemental items i. CDs, access codes etc. Seller Inventory Contact seller. Condition: Good. Condition: acceptable. Reading copy. May have signs of wear and previous use scuffs, library copy, highlighting, writing, and underlining. Dust jacket may be missing. His two-volume autobiography was an interesting read, but only revealed the portions of the pianist's life which he wanted known, was filled with numerous omissions and errors, contained a great deal of petty score settling his comments about Heifetz, Schnabel and Horowitz were especially cutting - and in the end said more about Rubinstein than his targetsand remarkably little discussion of music.

Harvey Sachs, whose acclaimed biography of Arturo Toscanini is required reading for all teatro arthurs rubinstein biography book, has produced a meticulously researched and balanced look at the pianist's life and music. As Sachs recounts Rubinstein's unusual childhood and early musical progress, it's clear that the pianist's early years he left his parents before adolescence set a pattern of devotion and abandonment which would scar his entire life.

Rubinstein had difficult relations with his entire family, particularly his wife and children. His eldest son had no communication with his father from onward, and inat the age of 89, Rubinstein left Nela, his wife of 44 years, for a woman young enough to be his granddaughter. In a sense, Rubinstein considered his adoring public to be his "real" family, and when his biological family was not equally adoring, the pianist's reaction could be volcanic he once loudly castigated his son, Paul - who was ill - for dozing in the green room during one of his concerts.

The book reveals a man who was fundamentally generous inhe gave a series of ten recitals entirely for charitybut highly insecure, obsessed with social and musical "position", and always needing to be at the center of attention - onstage or off. Sachs has reconciled the frequent errors in Rubinstein's memoirs with regard to names, dates, and events.

He also interviewed nearly everyone still alive who knew Rubinstein. The tangled story of Rubinstein's affair with Annabelle Whitestone, which lasted until his death, is handled with fairness and sympathy toward all parties. Musicians and Rubinstein fans will find Donald Manildi's discography very useful - especially as the complete Rubinstein recordings have been reissued by RCA.

Sachs is a knowledgeable musician, but he occasionally lets his biases creep into his appraisal of Rubinstein's recorded legacy. He is notably critical of Rubinstein's Beethoven on several fronts, but the gist of his complaints is that the pianist didn't play it the way Toscanini conducted it. For the most part, however, Sachs' comments on Rubinstein's recordings are noted for their fairness, clarity, and objectivity.

On the whole, Harvey Sachs has done an excellent job of recounting Rubinstein's long and eventful life. As with his biography of Toscanini, this book should be read by anyone who loves great music or has ever bought a Rubinstein recording. Verified Purchase. To be fair I should withhold comment until I have finished the book. Bu thus far into the book I see that this is no Toscanini bio by the same author--which was brilliant.

I don't care what the reviews are saying.