Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-11-22
Rubinstein.

Anton Gregory Rubinstein whose death
occurred Nov 20, was born Nov. &c. 1929,
of Jewish parents, at Wechwotynetz, near
Jassy He received his first musical in
struction from his mother and afterwards
from a pianoforte teacher in Moscow named
Villoing So early as 1886 he made his
first concert tour with his teacher, journey
ing to Paris, where he made the acquain-
lance of List, then teaching in that city,
and under whose advice he there pursued
his studies. A year later he made IA more
extended tour, going to England QS42,)
and thence to Holland, Germany and
Sweden In 1915 he went to study COM
position with Professor Dehn in Berlin.
From 1865 he passed in Vienna and
Pressburg, teaching on his own account.
In 1S4S he returned to Russia, where the
Grand Duchess Helen nominated him
Hammer Virtues. After studying dill
gently in st. Petersburg for eight years
he appeared with original compositions,
first in Hamburg, and then all over Ger
many, where he found enthusiastic au-
diences and willing publishers. From this
time his fame as a pianist and composer
spread rapidly over Europe and America.
He again visited in Egland in 1857 and
made his first appearance at the Philhar-
monte on May IS. In 1853 he returned
home, gave brilliant concerts at st. Pet
ersburg and Moscow, and settled in the
former city. At this period he was ap
pointed imperial concert director, with a
life pension. Thence forward he worked
in conjunction with his friend, Carl
Schuberth for the advancement of music
in Russia and had the merit of being the
founder of the St. Petersburg Conserva-
toire in 1862, remaining its principal
until 1867. The Russian Musical Society,
founded in 1861, was also his On leaving
Russia he made another triumphant tour
through the greater part of Europe, which
lasted till the spring of 1870. When in
his native country, in 1869, the emperor
decorated him with the Vladimir order,
which raised him to noble rank. In
1870 he rested "a while and expressed the
intention of retiring from public life;
but it was not likely that this desire
could be fulfilled. He held the director
ship of the Philharmonic concerts and
Choral Society in Vienna for the next
year or two, and this was followed by fresh
concert tours. Every year the same
threat of retirement was made, but the
the desire of providing for his wife and
| family, brought the gifted genius out
again and again. He extended his tours
as far as the south of Spain. OF late years
he was threatened with the loss of his eye
sight, misfortune caused in some mea-
sure by his excessive application to com
position.
Rubinstein first visited London in 1912
when ~ years old, but there is no record
of his appearance in public. His next visit
was in 1857, and he was again there in
1858, 1862 1875, 1877 and 1881, on each
occasion giving concerts of pianoforte
music, directing performances of his
own works, the Ocean Symphony for ex
ample. His opera, 1.-THE Demon" was
given in Italian at Covent Garden, and
his "Tower of Babel" at the Crystal
Palace in june 1881. Rubinstein made
one tour in this country, 1S72-73, in the
course of which he played in Boston at
the Music hall and Horticultural hall and
directed a single performance of the
Ocean Symphony at fremont Temple.
His visit stands in our musical history
with a distinction approached only by that
of Thalberg and Paderewski.
Within few years Rubinstein had IN
dertaken a new school of the opera-the
introduction of biblical subjects and
characters and the reproduction on the
stage, as fully as possible, of scriptural
scenes, his choice falling naturally on
those of the Old Testament He found
the accepted oratorio form insufficient
for his purpose, though he had followed
it in 1.-THE Tower of Babel and Para
disc Lost, +" and he began his illustrations
with Moses" The works founded on
biblical history already named are classed
in the list of Rubinsteins works as sacred
operas, but they were rarely if ever offered
with scenic embellishments. All forms
of composition were attempted by Rubin
stein, and the list of his works is of
formidable length. American audiences