Rachmaninoff Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganini Arthur Rubinstein

Never before have all Arthur Rubinstein albums been available together like this. Arthur Rubinstein – The Complete Album Collection features all of the legendary pianist’s issued recordings made by RCA Victor between 1940 and 1976, plus one recording issued on the DECCA label in 1978. Also included in this set are the recordings Rubinstein made in England for the His Master’s Voice (HMV) label between 1928 and 1940. As a bonus, this special package also has the sensational world-premiere release of two Carnegie Hall concerts recorded on December 8 and 10, 1961.

What release is this that can command such a gaudy price? Well, take another look: that's for 142 (!) CDs, which is what's necessary to compile-for the first time- every Arthur Rubinstein album ever released! One of the great poets of the piano, Rubinstein is heard here on every RCA Victor album he made from 1940-76, and also on one Decca album from 1978. Lastly, you'll hear the fine recordings he made in England for HMV between 1928 and 1940 plus the world-premiere release of two Carnegie Hall concerts from December 8 and 10, 1961 (featuring works by Debussy and Chopin). A dream come true for classical lovers, and a dream that will soothe your musical soul for a very, very long time!

What release is this that can command such a gaudy price? Well, take another look: that's for 142 (!) CDs, which is what's necessary to compile-for the first time- every Arthur Rubinstein album ever released! One of the great poets of the piano, Rubinstein is heard here on every RCA Victor album he made from 1940-76, and also on one Decca album from 1978. Lastly, you'll hear the fine recordings he made in England for HMV between 1928 and 1940 plus the world-premiere release of two Carnegie Hall concerts from December 8 and 10, 1961 (featuring works by Debussy and Chopin). On the bonus DVDs: Rubinstein Remembered , a documentary chronicling his life, and The Benefit Recital for Israel from 1975. In the 164-page full-color hardcover book: a wealth of essays and photos plus complete discography, track listings and discographical notes. And on those 142 CDs?: Rubinstein's vast array of studio and live recordings of solo, concert and chamber-music pieces, with all albums presented in their best remasterings (using SACD and XRCD mastering sources). A dream come true for classical lovers, and a dream that will soothe your musical soul for a very, very long time!

Phillips' Great Pianists of the 20th Century issue has gotten a lot of publicity in the ten or so years since it has been released. In a musical niche suffering from falling revenues, it was a decent seller. But it left many connoisseurs disappointed, as the quality was limited to the fancy packaging.

Phillips' Great Pianists of the 20th Century issue has gotten a lot of publicity in the ten or so years since it has been released. In a musical niche suffering from falling revenues, it was a decent seller. But it left many connoisseurs disappointed, as the quality was limited to the fancy packaging.

Fritz Reiner was one of the foremost conductors of his time. Crowning his long career in Europe and America was the decade from 1954 to 1963 as music director of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra – an illustrious partnership that ranks along such other historical tenures as Karajan’s in Berlin, Szell’s in Cleveland and Bernstein’s in New York. Luckily for posterity, Reiner’s legendary interpretations at the helm of the Chicago Symphony – which no less than Igor Stravinsky called “the most precise and flexible orchestra in the world” – were captured on record by RCA Victor. Now for the first time ever, they are being issued together in a single Sony Classical box set of 63 re-mastered CDs.

At the height of his popularity, pianist Oscar Levant was the highest-paid concert artist in America. He outdrew Horowitz and Rubinstein, with whom he shared the distinction of a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He performed under conductors including Toscanini, Beecham, Mitropoulos, Reiner and Ormandy, and was the definitive interpreter of his friend George Gershwin. Levant's 1945 recording of Rhapsody in Blue remained one of Columbia Records' best-selling albums for decades. That classic interpretation and all his other recordings for the label, spanning the years 1942 to 1958, have now been collected in this set: painstakingly restored and remastered from the original analogue discs and tapes, the vast majority of them are appearing for the first time ever on CD.