Ravel La tombeau de Couperin Forlane Rubinstein Rec. 1963.wmv

Paris was the home of Arthur Rubinstein for many years of his life. So it is not surprising that he knew and played the music of Debussy, Ravel and Poulenc all of with whom he had a personal acquaintance. His acquaintanceship with French composers dates back to Saint Saens who heard Rubinstein, who was then only in his early teens, rehearse the composers G minor Piano Concerto. Rubinstein writes, "We went to greet the maestro, who lisped shortly: 'That was very good,' got up and left without shaking our hands."
It must be remembered that when Rubinstein first began playing the music of the French Impressionists, such music did not fall easily upon the ears of contemporary audiences. Rubinstein was booed in 1904 when he played a composition of Debussy in Warsaw. Harvey Sachs in his biography "Rubinstein a Life," writes tha this recorded performance of "Forlane" along with all of Rubinstein's other Ravel recordings,"represent playing of the highest order."