The Beethoven Sonata Op, 31, No. 3 was always a great favorite of Rubinstein's. This recording, made about a year after the Concerto, turned out to be part of Rubinstein's final album. By this time, the pianist was almost totally blind due to macular degeneration. But I would defy anyone to guess that listening to the recorded evidence. The first movement is played with a charm usually ignored by more academic pianists. Rubinstein, is it worth noting, was a musician, not a musicologist. He was more interested in getting to the heart of the music than in the intricacies of "correct" ornamentation and other pedantic details. Rubinstein tears through the Scherzo with a vigor which would be the envy of pianists one-third his age. The slow movement was a favorite encore in Rubinstein's early years, and it is lovingly played here. The Finale is a boisterous, rollicking conclusion to a wonderous performance.
