Customer Reviews

Rubinstein Collection, Vol. 67

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I had purchased this recording on a whim - I love both Brahms and Dvorak, as well as Rubinstein. This recording is now one of my favorites. The recording itself is very faithful to the music; the sound is crisp, great all around. The performances are amongst the best in the catologue. I have a recording of the Brahms Quintet with Maurizio Pollini and while he may have the benefit of better sound, Rubinstein makes this piece exactly the way you would want to here it - masculine, but reserved where needed. A fantastic show!

The Dvorak, too, is outstanding and is my favorite of the two featured on this disc. Dvorak's music is very earthy, full of vitality and beauty. That's waht you can hear here. There is a passage in the third movement that features the cello playing the melody and you just melt; it's so beautiful!

All in all, a fantastic recording with excellent sound, notable musicians and a top-notch performance; can't go wrong!

Rubinstein and crew provide insightful, emotional insights into two of the greatest piano quintets in the repertoire.

There are moments where Rubinstein's playing could be a little more sensitive (more a matter of interpretive differences from my playing of the pieces), but the overall effect is so great that minor quibbles can certainly be forgiven.

I've told friends and family that their lives will not be complete until they hear this album, and I'd stand by that statement for anyone who asks.

Rubinstein and Guarneri give us a very important contribution in the field of chamber music recordings. A must, one of the finest RCA recording in the Rubi collection.

You may be interested to know that Glenn Gould loved this recording of the Brahms quintet, and told Rubinstein so in person.

So I rate this 5 stars on his behalf.

I was first introduced to the Guarneri String Quartet in high school. My friend made me a cd of this recording and I listened to it every single day because it is so addicting. The Brahms is unlike anything I've ever heard before. The andante is dissonant and tense, yet melodic. It's very romantic and powerful! The Dvorak piano quintet is a different kind of listening; pleasant, not boring. The recording is altogether perfect.

In my headline I haven't mentioned the musical value of this coupling of the Brahms and Dvorak Piano Quintets. I well remember the heartwarming May-December union of the aged Rubinstein with the up-and-coming Guarneris. They gave us a special fusion of keyboard wwisdom and fresh appeal, and we are lucky to have the fruits of their collaboration.

However, it must be said that Rubinstein plays tentatively in both works -- you would be hard-pressed to find mellower performances. The Guarneri Qt. gives him the lead, and therefore moments arrive (as in the second movement of the Brahms) when forward motion comes to a halt while everyone waits for the pianist to gain a little vigor. Ensemble is good throughout, considering, but in the end these are readings for fond remembrance rather than competiiton with the best recordings of eithr work. Good sound.