My Many Years

by Arthur Rubinstein

Book Overview

Rubinstein's memoir is the continuation of his first earlier work which dealt with his childhood and early adult years. This work covers the year 1917 to 1980. It opens with an account of his South... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0394422538
• ISBN13: 9780394422534
• Release Date: January 1980
• Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf
• Length: 626 Pages
• Weight: 2.60 lbs.

Customer Reviews

A great artist with a tremendous appetite for pleasure in life

Rubinstein's memoir is the continuation of his first earlier work which dealt with his childhood and early adult years. This work covers the year 1917 to 1980. It opens with an account of his South American tour, then goes on to tell of his brief time in New York. It then gives much space to his years in Paris in the 1920's and 1930's. It goes on to tell of his meeting his future wife Nela, their feeling the Gestapo in France and settling in Hollywood. As in Paris Rubinstein rapidly establishes himself as desired social figure and mingles with the social elite. This work is filled with countless amusing incidents and anecdotes. Rubinstein seemed to know everybody and be able to charm them easily. He is a person who seemed to know how to grasp the pleasures of life and live them most intensely. The book is filled with accounts of his numerous romantic adventures. He apparently was a virtuoso in this field also. While it is possible to admire him for this love of life, and ability to bring pleasure to others it is also possible to question his sense of morality and responsibility. Apparently he went long periods of time without connecting with his family. He did not seem to turn away from a potential conquest even if she were already married. I may sound old - fashioned but it seems to me that his own egoistic pleasure is at the center of this story. However this does not mean that he is without morality. He shows in more than one instance great personal loyalty to friends. He went out of his way to help the fading Nijinsky and his account of that great dancer's final performance is a truly sad one. Rubinstein's Memoir also teaches a great deal about the difficulties and vagaries of the life of creative people, no matter how talented. One of his great loves was the Italian contralto Gabriella Bensanzoni . His account of how her New York career was ruined by scheming rivals is a cautionary one for any aspiring artist. Rubinstein meets so many people, has so many adventures it is hard to keep up with him. But through it all he does show a real understanding of others. His descriptions of people are very appealing, especially of those women he has romantic involvements with. Above all of course Rubinstein is a great master pianist. And he has much to say about the way an artist must use the gift which he has been given. This is a rich work and one most highly recommended.

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After I read this book , I feel that I have learned something not only about music but life. I like the paragraph about the auther's attitude of happyness of life very much. If you have the original write of this paragraph ,please write to me.