Arthur Rubinstein - The Last Recital for Israel, 1975 (Beethoven, Schumann, Debussy, Chopin)

LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN
Sonata in F minor, Op. 57 "Appassionata"
00:01:23 I. Allegro assai
00:11:05 II. Andante con moto
00:17:52 III. Allegro ma non troppo

ROBERT SCHUMANN
Fantasiestücke, Op.12
00:23:42 1. Des Abends
00:27:41 2. Aufschwung
00:31:16 3. Warum?
00:34:10 4. Grillen
00:37:09 5. In der Nacht
00:41:17 6. Fabel
00:43:53 7. Traumes Wirren
00:46:33 8. Ende vom Lied

CLAUDE DEBUSSY
00:53:09 Ondine (from Préludes, Livre II, No.8)
00:56:47 La plus que lente - Valse
01:00:51 Prélude (from "Pour le piano", No.1)

FRÉDÉRIC CHOPIN
01:05:30 Scherzo No.3, Op. 39 in C-sharp minor
01:13:37 Étude, Op. 25, No.5 in E minor
01:16:50 Étude, Op. 10, No.4 in C-sharp minor
01:19:27 Nocturne, Op. 15, No.2 in F-sharp major
01:23:47 Polonaise in A-flat major 'Heroique', Op. 53

Encores:
FRÉDÉRIC CHOPIN
01:32:12 Waltz, Op. 64, No.2 in C-sharp minor

FELIX MENDELSSOHN
01:37:03 Spinnerlied (from Lieder ohne Worte, Op.67)

01:40:13 Presentation and conclusion (Herbert Armstrong, Jacob Bistritzky, Stanley Rader with Arthur Rubinstein)

ARTHUR RUBINSTEIN, piano

Filmed at Ambassador College, Pasadena, California, 15 January 1975)

[KWT]

Didn't realize a copy of the concert was still in existence. As a young video production engineer I helped record Rubinstein's concert that night. He had given orders there was to be no recording, and requested the light level be kept low, as it affected his equilibrium. Well, both requests were ignored per directions from his personal manager. The powers that be knew it was probably the last opportunity to record Rubinstein in a production facility that had the capabilities. So we hid the cameras in black cloth with Velcro tabs. The lighting director was already upset over the situation, as he knew of Rubinstein's request, yet we were doing it anyway! When the concert ended and Arthur stood, big wigs burst into the control booth and ordered, "Lights UP!" Herbert Armstrong presented Rubinstein with a gift and over the next few weeks the concert was edited for release. At the time I understood that never happened because of copyright laws, etc. Anyway, we recorded most all the world's great musicians in that auditorium. A few months before the Rubinstein concert we had the Vienna Symphony for 3 nights of recording for the Inaugural Concert, at the auditorium opening, spring of 1974. Had lots of fun working with the editing crew for release on KCET Los Angeles. That was 47 years ago, but seems like yesterday!

[saltburner]

I was at his last ever concert, at Wigmore Hall the following year. By then he was almost blind and there were lots of wrong notes. He apologised, and a lady cried out "We love you". He got a standing ovation. We knew he would never play again in public. I heard him 5 times between 1960 and 76, He was the greatest pianist I ever heard live. Sadly, I missed Horowitz. They were my twin idols.

[banniechow]

So fortunate to be able to watch this priceless, riveting performance of Mr. Rubinstein!!
Thank you for loading this video!

[wpoon]

In the last Recital, Mr Rubinstein was 87 years old when performing this concert.

[michaelwasserhaas]

no need comments....he was one of the greatest pianist ever, for sure

[NicoloGiulianoTuccia]

87 years old but he plays us a young boy, incredible force of the wilde..

[ZerkaS]

For some reason, I've had his interpretation of Chopin's Scherzo No. 3 humming in my head for the past couple of days, so I had the watch the recital even though I haven't watched it for over a decade.
The day I've heard Rubinstein play for the first time on a record is marked forever in my memory. I only had access to his interviews years later, when YouTube became big enough. He completely transformed how I had been perceiving what piano was about, he shaped my understanding of music not in words, only through his music notes, as though he spoke another language to me.
And our lifetimes never crossed, he passed away way before I was born. I've had teachers praise me for my interpretations, or how I was destined to win competitions, and students' parents in the most ordinary music school doing standing ovations and asking for encores, which wasn't a thing you would do there.
And mostly, I could never show enough gratitude to Rubinstein for all the life lessons I learned through his music.

[canman]

Incredible energy for the 90 year old Maestro Rubinstein.

[j.paulhanks]

As someone once said: God loved Rubinstein a little bit more.

[artoriasaber]

Imagin an 87-year-old man plays "Appassionata" with Appassionata! I am moved by every note.

[gennadiyshenfeld]

This Sir is present from God for us, with love from New Jersey, USA

[aderemyfav]

His performance of Chopin Etude Op.10 No.4 was breath-taking. Wrong notes did not hinder his presentation of music. A true miracle.

[autumnleaves]

Brings back memories of the only time I heard this legendary pianist live, a recital in Newcastle, England in April 1973. The Beethoven opus 57 sonata played here was also on the programme that night. I was only eight but the recital left quite an impression on me. He played plenty of Chopin too, including the famous Polonaise. He would have been 87 when this was filmed and I know that he couldn't see too well at this point, so there are a few wrong notes, but, as the great Ludwig van Beethoven allegedly once stated: "to play a wrong note is understandable, to play without passion is inexcusable" and Arthur Rubinstein certainly seemed to put his heart and soul into his performances. What proportion of pianists, amateur or professional, can still play this well at the grand old age of 87 ? I love his playing of the slow movement of the Beethoven, and he was just so good at playing Chopin and Schumann too. Thanks for posting this for us to enjoy.

[CarmenReyes-emnp]

Esta musica la teve en disco 🎹🎶🎶🎵🎵 Merida Mexico 🙏💐

[peteacher]

I was a naive up-front member of the Armstrong octopus in those days and his friendship with Golda Meir, Artur Rubinstein and others seemed miraculous. Armstrong had offered to transport any piano from anywhere in the world for this recital but I forget whether or not the maestro used one of AC's two Steinway D pianos (German made, of course, not USA) or had his own brought in; whatever, this concert became part of church legend. Stanley Rader was a gouging insincere bastard who took full advantage of the trust he enjoyed, regarding, by his own admission, AC and the Worldwide Church of God as his personal cash cow.
How are the mighty fallen, discredited and forgotten!

[lindasolis]

Brilliant! I saw Runbinstein's final recital in San Francisco in 1976, and he also played Schumann's Fantasiestücke. It was phenomenal! Listening to him play the piece here, I was transported back in time to my youth, sitting in the recital hall totally enraptured with this fabulous musician. Thank you so much for sharing this! ♥

[andrewmartin]

That first sonata...this bring put more then I have ever heard in this piece.

[HPGvideos]

Thanks to you Vladivostok 1969 for this very nice publication. It is a historical musicale jewel !! Yes, Sublime concert for ever!!

[robertybarra]

He was a pianist of great talent up until the end when his eyesight gave out. I saw him play in the end and could only hail him as a tenacious talent with tremendous spirit up to the end.

[lourdessantiesteban]

Those 24 with thumbs down don't know what is the meaning of the word artistry!