Arthur Rubenstein [1887–1982] was born in Lodz, Poland, the youngest of eight children. As early as the age of two he showed considerable interest in the music lessons his older siblings were taking, and the child prodigy began his own piano instruction two years later. When he was ten years old, Rubenstein went to Berlin for additional studies and made his professional debut there in 1900 (at age 13) with the Berlin Philharmonic. In 1904 he relocated to Paris, where his mentors included composers Paul Dukas and Maurice Ravel. Further encouragement from other professionals on the Parisian musical scene helped pave the way for his New York debut in 1906, which took place at Carnegie Hall. That led to an extensive tour in various cities across the United States, plus a return to concert stages in Italy, Austria and Russia.
Rubenstein found himself in London upon the outbreak of WWI and he remained there throughout the war, earning a living by giving piano recitals and appearing alongside violinist Eugène Ysaÿe. During the 1920s and 1930s he continued to tour Europe and the United States; however, he took some time off in 1932 to refresh his keyboard technique. During WWII, Rubenstein played primarily in the United States, and he became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1946. His career as a concert pianist brought him great acclaim as a performer of nearly all the works by such prominent Romantic composers as Beethoven, Schubert, Schumann, Liszt, Mendelssohn, and so on, but he also helped popularize piano works by Debussy and Ravel; Rubenstein also enjoyed playing 20th century material by various South American composers as well as works by his fellow Poles.
In a career that extended for a remarkable 76 years—he retired from the stage at the age of 89 due to failing eyesight—Rubenstein was the king of recorded classical piano music. Most of his material was released on the RCA Victor label, a relationship that began in 1928. With the transition in technology from 78s on through to LPs, Rubenstein regularly re-recorded various pieces to reflect the improvement in sound reproduction. All of the artist’s piano music recorded on RCA has since been released on CD, a total of more than 100 hours of continuous material. Almost everything he recorded throughout his life was done in the studio.
Rubenstein plays Chopin’s Heroic Polonaise (Op. 72):