Arthur Rubinstein and the London Symphony Orchestra: Monday YouTube Fix

Arthur Rubinstein is one of the piano greats.  Here is a very high quality video of him performing the Chopin Piano Concerto No. 2 with the London Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Andre Previn in 1975.  He is 88 years old in this clip and plays beautifully!  It is hard for me to process that this performance is from the year I was born and yet Rubinstein was born in 1887!

He retired from performing only one year later although he lived until the age of 95.  His career is filled with momentous accomplishments.  He was best known as a recitalist and concerto soloist, but he also performed a lot of chamber music with the likes of Jascha Heifetz and Pablo Casals.

You will hear why he is considered one of the greatest pianists of the 20th century.

Enjoy!

On the wings of the immortal classical music.

Isaac Stern, Yo-Yo Ma, Emanuel Ax and the LSO: Monday YouTube Fix

I could listen to these three gentlemen play Beethoven indefinitely and never tire of it.  The delicacy that Isaac Stern plays the violin with in this performance is unbelievable, even at the age of 72.  The soaring lyricism of Yo-Yo Ma on the cello is truly inspirational.  And the flow of Emanuel Ax's piano playing is as good as anyone in history. Beethoven is my favorite composer.  If I could only take one composer with me when everything is all said and done, it would be Beethoven.  The brilliant Triple Concerto for Piano, Violin and Cello ranks near the very top of my favorite compositions of all time.

(As a side note, imagine playing an instrument that was invented after your favorite composer had already passed away.  I will probably be in therapy for the rest of my life!)

The special thing about musicians who know each other's playing as well as Stern, Ma, and Ax do is that each performance sounds like a private musical conversation which all in attendance get the privilege of overhearing.  The amazing thing about technology is we all get to "attend" this concert 21 years later from our phones if we choose to!

Their communication both with each other and with the London Symphony is special in this clip.  This level of artistry inspires me to go practice every time.

Enjoy!