Tchaikovsky
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Anton Rubinstein (1829–1894)

Anton Rubinstein

Russian pianist, composer, conductor and teacher (b. 16/28 November 1829 in Vikhvatinets; d. 8/20 November 1894 in Peterhof), born Anton Grigor'evich Rubinstein (Антон Григорьевич Рубинштейн, Anton Grigor'evič Rubinštejn, Anton Grigor'yevich Rubinshteyn).

Born into a humble family of Jewish origins, but raised in the Christian faith, both Anton and his younger brother Nikolai (1835–1881) showed early musical aptitude. Anton received piano lessons from his mother at the age of five, and within four years he had given his first public recital, and then toured through Western Europe and Russia with his tutor Aleksandr Villoing (1808–1878), and brother Nikolai.

Returning to Russia in 1848 he taught, gave recitals, and became a leading figure in Saint Petersburg's musical world. With the support of the Grand Duchess Elena Pavlovna (1807–1873), he established the Russian Musical Society in 1859, and founded the Saint Petersburg Conservatory three years later. Tchaikovsky was a student of Rubinstein's instrumentation classes in the conservatory's first intake, but relationship between master and tutor was by no means an easy one, and the young student's works were often judged very harshly. Nevertheless, Rubinstein recommended Tchaikovsky for the post of professor of harmony at the Moscow Conservatory, after his graduation in 1866.

Tchaikovsky dedicated his Six Pieces on a Single Theme (Op. 21) for piano (1873) to his former tutor, and also supplied two pieces for the celebrations of Anton Rubinstein's 50th year as an artist in 1889—the chorus A Greeting to A. G. Rubinstein and the piano Impromptu in A♭ major.

Anton Rubinstein's fame continued to grow at home and abroad, and after resigning his position at the Saint Petersburg Conservatory in 1867 as a result of tensions within the faculty he devoted his time to giving concert tours in Russia, Western Europe and (in 1872–73) the United States. After briefly returning to the conservatory (1887–91), he then settled in Dresden, and only returned to Russia three years later when his health began to fail. He died at Peterhof (now Petrodvorets), Russia, on 8/20 November 1894, as a result of heart failure, aged 64.

Works dedicated to Anton Rubinstein:

• Six Pieces on a Single Theme, Op. 21 (1873), TH 134
• A Greeting to A. G. Rubinstein (1889), TH 86
• Impromptu in A♭ major (1889), TH 147

Correspondence with Anton Rubinstein:

• 2 letters from Tchaikovsky to Anton Rubinstein have survived, dating from 1887 and 1891.