Rubinstein Kamennïy-ostrow, Vol 1
Mid-19th-century easy listening, agreeably done, for Tsar Nicholas I's sister-in-law Kamenniy-ostrov ('Rocky Island') was the palace of the Grand Duchess Elena Pavlovna, sister-in-law of Tsar Nicholas I and patroness of the brilliant young Anton Rubinstein. He was barely 20 when she met him, charming, brimming with talent and a natural courtier. Installed in her palace, he was happy to entertain her at musical soirees while enjoying the freedom to embark on larger creative ent
View record and artist detailsRecord and Artist Details
Composer or Director: Anton (Grigor'yevich) Rubinstein
Label: Marco Polo
Magazine Review Date: 5/2000
Media Format: CD or Download
Media Runtime: 64
Mastering:
DDD
Catalogue Number: 8 223846

Tracks:
Composition | Artist Credit |
---|---|
Kammenïy-ostrov, Movement: Moderato |
Anton (Grigor'yevich) Rubinstein, Composer
Anton (Grigor'yevich) Rubinstein, Composer Joseph Banowetz, Piano |
Kammenïy-ostrov, Movement: Moderato assai |
Anton (Grigor'yevich) Rubinstein, Composer
Anton (Grigor'yevich) Rubinstein, Composer Joseph Banowetz, Piano |
Kammenïy-ostrov, Movement: Allegro scherzoso |
Anton (Grigor'yevich) Rubinstein, Composer
Anton (Grigor'yevich) Rubinstein, Composer Joseph Banowetz, Piano |
Kammenïy-ostrov, Movement: Allegro non troppo |
Anton (Grigor'yevich) Rubinstein, Composer
Anton (Grigor'yevich) Rubinstein, Composer Joseph Banowetz, Piano |
Kammenïy-ostrov, Movement: Moderato con moto |
Anton (Grigor'yevich) Rubinstein, Composer
Anton (Grigor'yevich) Rubinstein, Composer Joseph Banowetz, Piano |
Kammenïy-ostrov, Movement: Allegro moderato |
Anton (Grigor'yevich) Rubinstein, Composer
Anton (Grigor'yevich) Rubinstein, Composer Joseph Banowetz, Piano |
Kammenïy-ostrov, Movement: Con moto |
Anton (Grigor'yevich) Rubinstein, Composer
Anton (Grigor'yevich) Rubinstein, Composer Joseph Banowetz, Piano |
Kammenïy-ostrov, Movement: Allegro |
Anton (Grigor'yevich) Rubinstein, Composer
Anton (Grigor'yevich) Rubinstein, Composer Joseph Banowetz, Piano |
Kammenïy-ostrov, Movement: Romance |
Anton (Grigor'yevich) Rubinstein, Composer
Anton (Grigor'yevich) Rubinstein, Composer Joseph Banowetz, Piano |
Author: John Warrack
In 1853-54 he produced this set of musical portraits, character sketches of members of her court. Even if we could identify the pieces with Crown Prince This or Grand Duke That, it would scarcely add to appreciation of them. They are, as one would expect, salon pieces, written to amuse and doubtless gently flatter, cast in what would be idioms familiar to the court from Rubinstein's playing. Perhaps we can now enjoy them more as involuntary portraits of some of the composers looking over the young lion's shoulder - Schumann, Mendelssohn, Chopin, John Field all seem to nod approvingly, and there are pats on the back from some of the virtuosos who influenced his technique, men such as Moscheles and Kalkbrenner (I did not notice the hand of Liszt).
The music needs rather gentler handling than it gets from Joseph Banowetz, or from the rather heavy and clangy recording, but it is all perfectly agreeable, a mid-19th-century version of what would now be called 'easy listening'.'
The music needs rather gentler handling than it gets from Joseph Banowetz, or from the rather heavy and clangy recording, but it is all perfectly agreeable, a mid-19th-century version of what would now be called 'easy listening'.'
Discover the world's largest classical music catalogue with Presto Music.

Gramophone Digital Club
- Digital Edition
- Digital Archive
- Reviews Database
- Full website access
From £8.75 / month
Subscribe
Gramophone Full Club
- Print Edition
- Digital Edition
- Digital Archive
- Reviews Database
- Full website access
From £11.00 / month
Subscribe
If you are a library, university or other organisation that would be interested in an institutional subscription to Gramophone please click here for further information.