The Rubinstein Collection Volume 61 - Piano Concertos by Mozart (w/ Wallenstein & Krips)

Works

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Disc 01
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1. (00:12:24) Concerto for Piano & Orchestra No. 17 in G, KV 453: I. Allegro
2. (00:11:44) Concerto for Piano & Orchestra No. 17 in G, KV 453: II. Andante
3. (00:07:57) Concerto for Piano & Orchestra No. 17 in G, KV 453: III. Allegretto
4. (00:13:54) Concerto for Piano & Orchestra No. 20 in D minor, KV 466: I. Allegro
5. (00:09:05) Concerto for Piano & Orchestra No. 20 in D minor, KV 466: II. Romance
6. (00:07:55) Concerto for Piano & Orchestra No. 20 in D minor, KV 466: III. Allegro assai
7. (00:14:45) Concerto for Piano & Orchestra No. 21 in C, KV 467: I. Allegro maestoso

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Disc 02
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1. (00:06:35) Concerto for Piano & Orchestra No. 21 in C, KV 467: II. Andante
2. (00:06:47) Concerto for Piano & Orchestra No. 21 in C, KV 467: III. Allegro vivace assai
3. (00:11:28) Concerto for Piano & Orchestra No. 23 in A, KV 488: I. Allegro
4. (00:07:22) Concerto for Piano & Orchestra No. 23 in A, KV 488: II. Adagio
5. (00:08:10) Concerto for Piano & Orchestra No. 23 in A, KV 488: III. Allegro assai
6. (00:14:41) Concerto for Piano & Orchestra No. 24 in C minor, KV 491: I. Allegro
7. (00:08:23) Concerto for Piano & Orchestra No. 24 in C minor, KV 491: II. Larghetto
8. (00:09:10) Concerto for Piano & Orchestra No. 24 in C minor, KV 491: III. Allegretto

Performers

Arthur Rubinstein
RCA Victor Symphony Orchestra
Alfred Wallenstein, Josef Krips (#24)

Despite his early reputation as a hell-for-leather virtuoso, Arthur Rubinstein, was in fact one of the first pianists to record a Mozart Concerto (K. 488, recorded in 1931).

The early stereo recordings on this 2CD set were made in 1958 and 1961. Purists who are obsessed with certain details of ornamentation and embellishment will not enjoy these performances. Rubinstein does not embellish the slow movements, and he generally takes trills from the main note, in contradiction to current Mozart scholarship. For those who are obsessed with details, rather than totality, there are Alfred Brendel's numerous performances–in attaining scholarly perfection, they are perfectly boring.

Rubinstein's performances are another matter entirely. This is a red-blooded, warm-hearted Mozart. There is a natural rise-and-fall in Rubinstein's phrasing and rubato which wears well, even after numerous hearings. Even Mozart's more overplayed Concertos, such as K. 467 (dubiously known as the "Elvira Madigan") sound fresh and new here. Incidentally, Rubinstein plays his own candenzas in this concerto, and they are very convincing. Wallenstein (and Krips in K. 491) draw fine playing from the pickup orchestra.

The sound, which was rather grainy in the LP and earlier CD versions, is much improved here. The strings, in particular, have a silky sheen which is most welcome. (Hank Drake on amazon.com)