Arthur Rubinstein Essentials

Known the world over for his performances and recordings of Chopin's music, the Polish-born Rubinstein actually felt closer to the music of Brahms (whose music he played incomparably). His lightness of touch and ability to make the piano sing was extraordinary, and his fingers could dance over the keyboard with magical results. He formed chamber-music partnerships with some of the last century's giants—Heifetz, Casals, and Piatigorsky among them—and his recordings with the Guarneri Quartet are peerless. He made his first recording in 1928 and played his last concert, in 1976, at age 89.