Gregor Piatigorsky

This historic film captures the legendary pianist Artur Rubinstein in rare performance film footage. The first portion of the program features Rubinstein playing solo works. The next segment of the program takes us into his home, with the master playing a program of Chopin. The concluding portion of the film is the result of LIFE Magazine's famous photographic story on the great soloists Rubinstein, Jasha Heifetz and Gregor Piatigorsky in rehearsal together. It is an intimate study of genius at work.

The film tells the cultural story of Berlin during the Weimar Republic through interviews with a number of persons who were involved in literature, film, art, and music during the period. It includes interviews with Christopher Isherwood, Louise Brooks, Lotte Eisner, Elisabeth Bergner, Francis Lederer, Carl Zuckmayer, Gregor Piatigorsky, Claudio Arrau, Rudolf Kolisch, Mischa Spoliansky, Herbert Bayer, Mrs. Walter Gropius, and Arthur Koestler.

Nora, una joven irlandesa y melómana, trabaja en el Carnegie Hall como chica de la limpieza. Está enamorada de Tony Salerno, un pianista dotado pero rebelde que se enfrenta con el director de orquesta por la diferente concepción que tiene de la interpretación de una pieza de Tchaikovski. Tras la muerte de Tony, la protagonista sigue trabajando en el Carnegie Hall, y se obsesiona con que su hijo, también llamado Tony, triunfe como concertista de piano. Nora lleva todas las noches al pequeño al Carnegie Hall, convirtiendo el edificio en la mejor escuela de música posible.

The first segment of this program presents Rubinstein at a recording session playing for his children and exhibiting his technique with the music of Liszt, Chopin, and Mendelssohn. The second segment shows the pianist at home in an all-Chopin program. The final segment features Rubinstein, Heifetz, and Piatigorsky interpreting Schubert and Mendelssohn.