THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Friday, March 28, 1980 19
The Fabulous Arthur Rubinstein
Musical. Genius, Wit Recorded in 'My Many Years
-*Nig
Arthur Rubinstein is much more than the master
musician. His career is highlighted not only on the piano.
He is equal to all occasions as a raconteur, possessing a
marvelous sense of humor. He is blessed with a memory
that makes him an historian in the musical world. He has
- worked with the greatest in the musical spheres and his
judgments of character provide due account of the per-
,- sonalities who have dominated music most of this century.
,..,These characteristics of this great musician become
evident in his autobiography, "My Many Years" (Knopf).
The entire book is delightful reading. At the same time
it is most informative. Few in this generation could possi-
bly offer so may views on the most eminent people in music,
' treating them with frankness, while defining their great
gifts to mankind.
At 93, Rubinstein gives an account of 64 years of
ex.nerience, of travels throughout the world, of shar-
4e limelight with the most eminent of the century,
e himself gaining the recognition that gave him
world status at the piano.
There is charm in every episode depicted in this fas-
cinating autobiographical work. Every social function, all
events in which he participated, become example of a life
that led him to association with the most distinguished of
the last half century.
He didn't pull punches. In excoriating Nazism he was
the vigilant.
Confronting his fello -N7 musicians he was the frank and
outspoken adherent to views that defined the glories of
music.
He does not glorify all of the geniuses in music. He
had a run-in with Leonard Bernstein, but they soon
became great friends.
He befriended among others the Detroit Symphony
Orchestra conductor Ossip Gabrilowitsch.
He describes the anxieties that were felt when Israel
was threatened by Nasser and then emerged triumphant in
the Six-Day War.
Expressing the joy that was experienced with the Is-
raeli success in the 1967 conflict, he states among other
expressions of cheer:
"The cry of admiration and triumph was heard
everywhere. We lived one of the greatest moments of
our lives . . . Jerusalem, the capital of the Jews, was
united again after 2,000 years, and the Old City,
- shamelessly desecrated by the Jordanian occupation,
was cleared up and shined in glory, thanks to its ad-
mirable Mayor Teddy Kollek."
He relates about the search for havens in Israel by
Jews in that period and he tells: "Many brave Jews flew to
Israel, among them my young colleague Daniel Barenboim
and his fiance, Jacqueline du Pre, the great cellist; she
married him upon arrival and adopted his faith."
He gives an interesting account of his presence at the
opening of the Frederick Mann Auditorium in Tel Aviv.
Fred Mann invited him to a dinner at which he shared a
table with Albert Einstein.
It is a delightfully told tale about a rich man's hosting
the distinguished guests.
The description of Fred Mann, the poor lad who made
good in business, is fabulous.
The description of the opening ceremony at the
inauguration of the Mann Auditorium is among the
fascinating descriptions in Rubinstein's life story. To
quote: .
It was a proud day for music in Tel Aviv when the
beautiful modern hall which would be used only for con-
certs was ready. It was Fred Mann of Philadelphia who had
taken the initiative by contributing a large sum and ob-
taining much larger sums from other American music lov-
ers, and these gifts encouraged the city of Tel Aviv and the
government of Israel to give the final sums for the construc-
tion. ,
"The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra found, at last, a
worthy and steady home. For the inauguration, a great
gala took place; Leonard Bernstein conducted, Isaac Stern
played a concerto, Piatigorsky should have played but
couldn't come, so he was replaced by the fine French cellist
Paul Tortelier, and I played the 'Emperor' Concerto by
BPathoven.
The hall was named after Frederick Mann, who had
made the first contribution. Bernstein opened the concert
with the Israeli national anthem, which is very moving.
T' n Ben-Gurion gave a long inaugural speech in Hebrew,
N .11 neither Bernstein, Stern nor I could understand. To
our great shame and surprise, Tortelier, the Christian, was
the one who translated it for us. He had fallen in love with
Israel and lived a whole year with his family in a kibutz.
"Fred Mann expected to be introduced to the pub-
lic by Ben-Gurion after the speech, but he was not
called. The whole program was performed with a long
intermission and I had just finished the concert when
I noticed that Fred Mann was still waiting in the
wings. I felt that something had to be done and, in-
stead of giving an encore, I made him come up with me
on the stage and introduced him in my best English as
the man who had initiated the construction of the hall.
After due applause, the gala was over.
Rubinstein's friendship with Bronislaw Hubermann is
among the very interesting recollections in "My Many
Years."
Nahum Sokolow and Jan Masaryk are among the not-
ables who shared important functions with him.
This is a truly great work. It is notable as an autobiog-
raphy. It emerges as history for musicians. It is Arthur
Rubinstein, at 93, with loss of sight, indelibly recorded in
the story of the great of this century.
-P.S.
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"Ben-Gurion gave a party after the concert, at which I
introduced Fred Mann to him. He gave him an angry look.
Why did you think of a hall for Tel Aviv and not
Jerusalem?' Poor Fred had no answer."
Rubinstein's admiration for Israel was not limited to
his musical contributions to the nation's cultural life. He
has this to say about his thrills over Israel's emergence into
statehood:
"There was the declaration of the free state of Israel by
the great statesman Ben-Gurion. My heart swelled with joy
at this news. Soon after, the young army of Israel showed its
courage and brilliant intrepidity by winning its first fight
for survival against the overwhelming mass of Arabs which
surrounded it.
"After obtaining an armistice they were con-
stantly harassed by guerrillas and snipers. But noth-
ing prevented them from turning the desert they
found into a beautiful country, thriving in agriculture
and industries, with the great Weizmann Institute,
which achieved wonders in technology, including
turning salt water into the fresh water they needed for
irrigation. Meier Dizengoff, the great mayor of Tel
Aviv, made that city what it is today. The country
became, with Italy and Spain, the great attraction for
tourists. In spite of living in constant danger of at-
tacks by its neighbors, it pursues its destiny in perfect
serenity. Anti-Semitism, ever latent in the whole
world, cannot silence the admiration which this brave
little country inspires,
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