Much as Arthur Rubinstein enjoyed and understood the recording process, he loved playing for live audiences even more. His surviving concert performances may be less polished than their studio counterparts, yet they often compensate with sheer verve and added communicative dimension. This is particularly true regarding this 1960 Chopin F minor concerto with the Philharmonia Orchestra and Carlo Maria Giulini. Here Rubinstein’s animated, characterful, and flexible phrasing reaches levels of inspiration and poetry that easily transcend the pianist’s four studio efforts. Unlike many conductors who merely beat time in Chopin’s accompaniments, Giulini supports his soloist with a vibrant and meaningful orchestral framework. Similarly, the Ballade, Scherzo, Mazurka, and Grande Polonaise sing out with a degree of spontaneity and lyrical breadth that the stereo studio versions merely suggest. What’s more, the ample tone and interpretive ardor Rubinstein brings to three Chopin Etudes certainly belies the pianist’s fear of committing the whole set of 24 to disc. Will this release inspire RCA to release unissued material from the great pianist’s 1961 Carnegie Hall concerts? [12/6/2002]
