Anton Rubinstein

Anton Rubinstein

Source: Bach Cantatas

Born on 28 November 1829 at Vikhvatinets, Baltsky Uyezd, in the Podolia Governorate of the Russian Empire (what is presently Maldova southwest of Ukraine, Anton Rubinstein's father owned a pencil factory. He was the brother of composer and pianist, Nikolai Rubinstein. Writing nearly twenty works for stage, Rubinstein also composed chamber music, concertos, symphonies and pieces for solo piano or voice.

A piano virtuoso, Rubinstein began to play the instrument at age five. He was eventually placed under the tutorship of music teacher, Alexander Villoing, who recognized Rubinstein's potential, brought it to fruition and took him on a tour of Europe in 1840, starting in Paris. A second tour at age fourteen, confined to Russia, followed in 1843 with his brother, Nikolai, at age eight. Rubinstein's Op 1 is assigned to 'Ondine', an etude for piano in D flat major composed in 1842 and published in 1843.

'Ondine'   Op 1   D-flat major   Etude by Anton Rubinstein

1842   Published in Berlin 1843

Piano: Michel Cardinaux

IMSLP   Score

In 1844 Rubinstein's mother took her boys to Berlin. She returned with Nikolai to Russia in 1846, Anton leaving a time later for Vienna, hoping to study with Franz Liszt, to disappointment. He was seventeen at the time and could no longer be billed as a child prodigy. Persuaded to return to Russia by the Revolution of 1848, Anton found a patron in Saint Petersburg in Princess Charlotte of Württemberg, sister to Tsar Nicholas I. Teaching and giving public concerts as well, by 1852 Rubinstein's was a leading name in the burgeoning growth of that city's musical climate. St. Petersburg wasn't Paris, but it would soon be a major player in classical music to come.

Rubinstein completed his first opera, 'Dmitry Donskoy', in 1852, its overture composed and performed in 1850, all that has survived. The remainder of the opera was delayed due to Russian censors who wished to manage the portrayal of Donskoy and rename the work to 'The Battle of Kulikovo' which Donskoy had won against the Mongol Golden Horde on September 8 of 1380. Nigh as soon as Russian composers began their rise to prominence in romantic classical music "authorities" were there to meddle in the interest of shaping the world. Such was simply the state of affairs over which Rubinstein didn't lose any sleep: authorities only wished Donskoy to be portrayed more a hero than a lover. But the matter reveals the degree to which Russian government, Tsarist at the time, already expected to influence music, and raises the matter of the role of government in the music, largely borderless like art or science. (Adrian Bryttan touches on such as Donskoy in relation to Russian propaganda in modern Ukraine.) Be as may, since the premiere of 'Dmitry Donskoy' (as 'The Battle of Kulikovo') was unsuccessful, Rubinstein repeated what seemed to work: touring, as of old since the troubadours, and began to travel Europe in 1854. Also find below examples of relatively early songs by Rubinstein followed by a work for chamber and a movement from his third of six symphonies.

Overture to 'Dmitry Donskoy'   First opera by Anton Rubinstein

Premiere of overture 1850

Premiere of opera 30 April 1852 at the Bolshoi Kamenny Theatre in St. Petersburg

George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra   Horia Andreescu

Wikipedia

'Twelve Persian Songs'   Op 34   Anton Rubinstein

1854   Published 1855

Libretti: Friedrich Bodenstedt after Mirzə Şəfi Vazeh

Vocals: Boris Gmyrya

IMSLP   Libretti

'Sonata for Piano and Viola'   Op 49   Anton Rubinstein

Dedicated to viola player Hieronymus Weickmann who premiered it in 1855

Piano: Sophia-Maria Suvorova   Viola: Anastasia Agapova

IMSLP

Adagio - Moderato to 'Symphony No.3'   Op 56   Movement 2 of 4   Anton Rubinstein

Composed 1854-55

Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra   Barry Kolman

IMSLP

In 1862 Rubinstein founded the St. Petersburg Conservatory [Wikipedia], a major endeavor that helped put St. Petersburg on the musical map, despite later detractors such as Mily Balakirev and the Free School. Rubinstein became the second major composer in these histories to visit the United States in 1872-73 (Strauss II just prior in the summer of 1872). He left such wind through the States, playing 215 concerts in 239 days at $200 per, as to earn $43,000 (worth well over a million dollars in today's money).

St. Petersburg Conservatory

Photo by Karl Bulla   1913

Source: Wikipedia

Like Strauss II before him, Rubinstein found America none too sophisticated, and was eager to get back to Russia where he bought a house, though nothing grand considering his overall worth. Rubinstein's survey of America would become a familiar one in Europe for decades to come. Though considered undeveloped by general consensus in artistic matters, Americans were notable at something else which appeared a good exchange: the honey that was money. Americans came a little in the rough, but they came rich and seemingly free with it. Come the fourth of Rubinstein's five existing piano concertos not long after his return to Russia. Nos.1 and 2 had been completed in 1850 and 1851. His third was transformed into 'Octet' Op 9 published in 1856. If I was in Rubinstein's house as it was burning down I'd grab his concertos first while shouting "Anton! Wait right there! I'll be right back!" Rubinstein's concertos amidst all else that he composed find Russia not only emerging for some time, but now in a major composer, indeed, a powerful rival to any in western Europe, and initiating a rumble to come from out of the east. Numerous elite composers and piano virtuosos have included Rubinstein's 'Piano Concerto No.4' in their repertoire, including Paderewski and Rachmaninoff. Following that below is the symphonic poem, 'Ivan the Terrible' Op 79 of 1869 which Tchaikovsky arranged for piano four hands the same year. Bringing up the bottom below is Rubinstein's 'Piano Concerto No.5' Op 94.

'Octet'   Op 9   D minor   Anton Rubinstein

Published 1856

Jupiter Symphony Chamber Players   Piano: Maxim Lando

IMSLP

'Piano Concerto No.4'   Op 70   D minor   Anton Rubinstein

1864   Published 1865   Revised thrice to 1872

Curtis Institute Student Orchestra   Fritz Reiner

Metropolitan Opera House in NYC   Golden Jubilee Concert on 28 Nov 1937

Piano: Josef Hofmann

Forte-Piano-Pianissimo   IMSLP   Wikipedia

'Ivan the Terrible'   Op 79   Symphonic poem by Anton Rubinstein   1869

Slovak State Philharmonic Orchestra Kosice   Robert Stankovsky   Feb 1989

IMSLP