A 1966 German-made documentary about pianist Artur Rubinstein has resurfaced. Artur Rubinstein in Hamburg is in German, as you would expect, but lets you see and hear him play. The most interesting part for me, however, came near the beginning, as Rubinstein tested pianos for a performance while two very nervous piano techs hovered nearby. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ez04D5QzEYs&feature=player_embedded
Preservation Hall Enters Its Second 50 Years
Through hurricane, flood, good times and bad, there's one thing you can count on...jazz music reigns supreme at Preservation Hall. You can get in for $12, (their 50th anniversary concert at Carnegie Hall would have cost you $50 for front row seats), see 21 shows a week (along with impromptu after-hours performances), and you can experience jazz in a place which has changed not one bit since it opened in 1961. Watch Preservation Hall's Legacy (NY Times)
New or old? Violin wars continue
The number of talented players continues to grow, while the cache of these highly-desired instruments does not. The argument continues between advocates for each side. Like many violin experts, Pinchas Zukerman cautions that some Strads are better than others. What matters is the connection.
 âWhen an instrument suits a player, my God, itâs a match in heaven,â? he said. âWhen I play on Perlmanâs violin I sound like garbage,â? he said of Itzhak Perlmanâs Strad. âHe plays it, and it sounds like a million bucks.â?
Are they worth the price? If you thought your child was the next Itzhak Perlman or Anne-Sophie Mutter, how far would you go to help them acquire one of the elite instruments? Read Not everyone's in tune over precious violins (NY Times)