Beryl Rubinstein

Beryl Rubinstein (October 26, 1898 – December 29, 1952) was an American pianist, composer, and teacher. He was the father of social historian David Rubinstein.

He married Elsa Landesman who attended Wellesley College. They were married by Abba Hillel Silver, a leading American Zionist, on 29 December 1925.

Rubinstein was born in Athens, Georgia, where his father Isaac Rubinstein was the rabbi of the Congregation of the Children of Israel. He was a child prodigy on the piano, and made his New York City debut in 1911, with a concert at the Metropolitan Opera House. He then studied piano in Berlin, Germany with Ferruccio Busoni and others, making his debut in New York City in a joint concert with Eugène Ysaÿe in 1916. There followed several American and European tours. He also toured as an assistant pianist for the Duncan Dancers, a troupe headed by Isadora Duncan. In 1921 he joined the music faculty of the Cleveland Institute of Music, serving as the institution's director from 1932 until his death. He wrote an Outline of Piano Pedagogy (1929); among the works he composed were a piano concerto, a string quartet, and numerous pieces and studies for piano solo. Composer Jane Corner Young was one of his students.

After the U.S. entry into World War II, Rubinstein (then 43) enlisted in the U.S. Army with the rank of captain in the Fifth Service Command. He was given the role of coordinating the unit's wartime musical activities. From 1942 to 1944 he traveled 20,000 miles and participated in seventy-five concerts for servicemen in North Africa, Sicily, and Italy.

After the war Rubinstein returned to Cleveland to resume the directorship of CIM, which expanded greatly over the next decade.

Rubinstein died in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1952 and was buried at Mayfield Cemetery. He was survived by his wife, his son David, and his daughter Ellen Weld.

Birth and Death Data: Born October 26, 1898, Died December 20, 1952

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1937 - 1938

Roles Represented in DAHR: piano, composer

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor CS-011722 12-in. 8/14/1937 Passepied Kreiner Quartet String quartet composer  
Victor CS-018179 12-in. 1/19/1938 Sonate Josef Gingold ; Beryl Rubinstein Violin and piano duet instrumentalist, piano  
Victor CS-018180 12-in. 1/19/1938 Sonate Josef Gingold ; Beryl Rubinstein Violin and piano duet instrumentalist, piano  
Victor CS-018181 12-in. 1/19/1938 Sonate Josef Gingold ; Beryl Rubinstein Violin and piano duet instrumentalist, piano  
Victor CS-018182 12-in. 1/19/1938 Sonate Josef Gingold ; Beryl Rubinstein Violin and piano duet instrumentalist, piano  
Victor CS-018183 12-in. 1/19/1938 Sonate Josef Gingold ; Beryl Rubinstein Violin and piano duet instrumentalist, piano  
Victor CS-018184 12-in. 1/19/1938 Sonate Josef Gingold ; Beryl Rubinstein Violin and piano duet instrumentalist, piano  
Victor CS-018185 12-in. 1/19/1938 Sonate Josef Gingold ; Beryl Rubinstein Violin and piano duet instrumentalist, piano  

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Rubinstein, Beryl," accessed April 23, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/105852.

Rubinstein, Beryl. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved April 23, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/105852.

"Rubinstein, Beryl." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 23 April 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/105852

Wikipedia content provided under the terms of the Creative Commons BY-SA license

Feedback

Send the Editors a message about this record.