Arthur Rubinstein - Saint-Saëns - Piano Concerto No 2 in G minor, Op 22

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Camille Saint-Saëns
Piano Concerto No 2 in G minor, Op 22

1 Andante sostenuto
2 Allegro scherzando
3 Presto

Arthur Rubinstein, piano

London Symphony Orchestra
André Previn, conductor

[Queeenq]

Arthur Rubinstein:

the first performance of this concerto - in 1900 (13 years old) - Saint-Saens was 65.
the last performance - we can see here - in 1975 (88 years old).

75 YEARS LATER!!!

[YZ-TS]

At almost 90 and nearly blind, Rubinstein still manages this encore performance, stretching the notes of the solo or near-solo parts of the 1st movement in heart-wrenching manner, and making the extraordinary difficulties of the three movements look simple. A true master of his craft, his repertoire is a testament to virtuosity and musicianship at their finest.

[willrothfuss]

Rubinstein once asked Ravel where he got his fantastic art of orchestration, and Ravel replied Saint-Saens Piano Concerto No 2 in G Minor ( from an interview Rubinstein gave at 90.)

[skylarlimex]

i love how just after the end, rubinstein immediately shifts back upright with a very stoic look. a man of great class and nobility.

[joselopes]

Camile Saint-Saës was born in Paris on October 9, 1835. He always had a strong inclination towards music, had an immense musical memory, an extraordinary fine and fair ear. Enters the Conservatory of13 years old where he studied organ and composition. It was at this time that he met Liszt. At the age of 25, his position and his fame is universal, arousing admiration for Liszt, Berlioz and Bülov. It is on Liszt’s initiative that Samson and Delilah make their debut in Weimar. Between 1861 and 1865 he was a professor at Niedermeyer School where he was Fauré, Messager and Gigout as students. Through his teachings and his activity, he was at the base of Renaissance that leads Debussy and Ravel. The classicism and cold formal perfection of his work had a moderating influence on French music at height of the Wagnerian period. He composed operas, camara music, symphonic poems, concerts, sextets, and over one hundred melodies, etc. He died on December 16, 1921 in Algiers.
Saint-Saës music is of incomparable beauty. Intersperses moments of great musical intensity with others of sublime delicacy. Emotiveness is followed by others of great beauty.
The interpretation is fabulous, maybe the best I’ve ever heard. Rubinstein is perhaps one of the greatest pianists who ever lived. The sensitivity and cadence he puts into the interpretation are amazing. The orchestra and its direction are superb.
Thanks for this work of art that combines an outstanding concert with a fantastic performer. Bravissimo.

[ciayko]

I will be eternally grateful to this eighty-eight year old man for giving me immense joy and pleasure by performing this beautiful concert

[emperornapoleon]

There are few things more satisfying than seeing Rubinstein let loose on the piano.

[VICTOBERN]

Difficult to find a more dignified classical pianist who seemingly performs with such ease and yet authority.

[robertcohn]

There is nothing I could add to the more than 1000 comments on this video, except to express my deep appreciation that the world had such a great artist as Artur Rubinstein.

[LebronTheStrategist]

1:20 "The men stood by the sill, calmly, and waited their turn to jump"

[AJNorth]

This performance was filmed in 1975 when Rubinstein was 88 (and nearly blind), without an audience in the Fairfield Halls, Croydon, London (which opened in 1962).

As a boy, I had the great privilege to hear this extraordinary human being perform the Saint-Saëns 2nd in early January of 1969 at [the then] Philharmonic Hall at Lincoln Center, with Dr. Alfred Wallenstein conducting the Symphony of the Air (which had grown out of Arturo Toscanini's NBC Symphony Orchestra). (The companion works on the program were the Chopin 2nd Concerto and the Franck Symphonic Variations; the encore was a repeat of the last movement of the Saint-Saëns.)

These same forces made the classic 1958 RCA "Living Stereo" recording of the 2nd, produced by John Pfeiffer ("The Father of Living Stereo") and Max Wilcox (five-time Grammy-winner, whom Arthur Rubinstein called his musical collaborator), and engineered by four-time Grammy-winner Lewis W. Layton. It is also posted on YouTube, in a superb transfer from the original three-track half-inch 30 ips master tape (and remains my "desert island recording"):




The week before at Carnegie Hall, I had heard these same forces perform the Schumann and Grieg Piano Concerti, together with the Chopin Grand Fantasy on Polish Airs.

Nearly half a century later, the recollections of those two experiences-of-a-lifetime are as fresh as if they took place last week.

That so many of the performances by these musical giants were recorded and preserved are truly gifts from the gods.

[juliaromero]

This is one of my favourite piano concertos. I've never heard it played so meticulously before. Each note is like, touched very intricately and the fact that Rubinstein was almost 90 when he played this is just mind-blowing.

[thegreatagnesbaltsa]

Rubinstein's playing is one of the most beautiful things I've found in my life..refined and vigorous at the same time. Overwhelming..

[daviddaniel]

Le 2eme Concerto de Saint-Saëns par Rubinstein : ROYAL ! Quelle maestria, quelle force, quelle puissance. Le jeu typique de Rubinstein: visage impassible, les doigts qui tombent avec précision sur les touches, et une virtuosité à couper le souffle. Ce concerto, puissant et frénétique, mérite de faire partie des "grands" (Brahms, Tchaikovski, Prokofiev). Il y a une entente parfaite avec l'orchestre et son chef André Prévin. LA référence absolue. Merci YouTube.

[gimtan]

The real musician is playing from heart, no need to shake the body and head.

[kevinkelleher]

More than 50 years ago I attended one of his performances and was overwhelmed. At that time, there were usually green rooms where one could go backstage and meet the performer. I was only in my early 20s and was taken back to meet A.R. He was every bit as gracious and charming he was known for and kind to me. I kept looking at his hands which were bright pink, hot to touch and thick like a big steak. Good recordings almost never indicate the contours of a great performance in a great venue, but at least we have them to remind us of artists like Rubenstein.

[michelekett]

Listening in 2024, perfection. What an astonishing performer Rubinstein was. Calm but passionate and so deeply felt.

[davidjohnson]

I had the great fortune to see Rubenstein in recital in the early 70s. His plane must have landed a little late and he arrived straight from the airport, walked briskly to the piano, laid hands on it with little fanfare, and began to play. He was in his 80s then and gave us an amazing recital from Mozart to Falla. I'll never forget it.

[SuperAsalvador]

Camille Saint-Saëns
Piano Concerto No 2 in G minor, Op 22

1 Andante sostenuto        00:00
2 Allegro scherzando       13:05
3

Arthur Rubinstein, piano

London Symphony Orchestra
André Previn, conductor

[simonprecheurllarena]

I keep coming back to this performance. Rubinstein plays it with such maturity, dramaturgy yet clarity, power yet control. You can feel his life long experience and dedication to excellence.