Rubinstein’s Piano Concerto No. 2

[Peter1953]

This afternoon I've been listening twice to Rubi's 2nd. It has been too long ago. I didn't realize that I could be so strongly begeistert by the very subtle, emotional Adagio non troppo. How deeply heartfelt.

I'm wondering what members think of Rubinstein's Second?

[Mark Thomas]

Truth be told, I haven't listened to it for some time but off the cuff I remember it as being a work almost as engaging as the Third. It's the Fourth (see another thread) and the rather disjointed and naive First which I don't really rate. I'm very fond of the Konzertstueck too.

[saxtromba]

I have always loved this concerto, even before it had been recorded (I was able to see a two-piano score and play the slow movement-- but not the others!).  It has a joie de vivre which very few other concerti have.  Even Balakirev had at least some respect for it; it was one of the concerti he specifically studied when composing his own first concerto.  It deserves to be much better known; I would rank it with Beethoven 3, and above either of the Liszt concerti, for example.

[JimL]

I like the work, but I don't love it quite as much as the last 3.  Of course, the only performance I know of that is currently available is the Banowetz on MP, which is probably the worst performance, orchestra-wise, of the series he did for that label.  There was another performance on Russian Disc that I used to own (I forget the performers) that was how I first became familiar with the work.  That overall performance was much better than Banowetz and crew's, but the coupling was with a 4th PC performance that was so putridly sluggish that I couldn't abide it, so I gave the CD away.

[edurban]

"...I would rank it with Beethoven 3..."

Oh dear.  In what respect?

David

[FBerwald]

The only problem with the Banowetz performance was the instrument. Almost sounded like a forte piano. A shame as his playing is phenomenal.

[JimL]

Nah.  I agree about the piano, but Alfred Walter's tempo in the Allegro vivace assai is way too flaccid, with some rather bizarre distortions.  Thanks for reminding me how tubby the piano sounds, too.