Schumann Carnaval & Fantasiestücke - Artur Rubinstein

This exceptional release captures legendary pianist Artur Rubinstein at the height of his interpretive powers, delivering definitive mid-century performances of Robert Schumann’s solo piano masterpieces. Recorded in the vast, resonant acoustics of New York City’s Manhattan Center between April 1962 and January 1963, this collection brings together Carnaval, Op. 9, and Fantasiestücke, Op. 12. Rubinstein’s trademark elegance, luminous tonal palette, and deeply poetic phrasing breathe vibrant life into Schumann’s contrasting worlds, unifying the mercurial, festive characters of Carnaval with the dreamy, nocturnal passion of the Fantasiestücke. Artist(s): Piano - Artur Rubinstein Recording Info: Recorded at the Manhattan Center, New York City, on April 19, December 2, 3, and 4, 1962, and January 23, 1963. Producer: Max Wilcox Recording Engineer: Anthony Salvatore Transferred from a 4-track tape Components used for Transfer: This transfer leverages precision analog playback and mastering-grade digital conversion. The signal path begins with a modified Studer A810 with Flux Heads, fed through a Merrill Audio Master MX Tape Head Preamp. The analog signal converts via a Merging Hapi converter, synchronized to an Antelope Audio 10MX atomic clock for temporal accuracy. All components receive isolated power conditioning through a Shunyata Research Everest 8000 with Shunyata Sigma-X power cords, while grounding infrastructure utilizes Shunyata ALTAIRA hubs to minimize noise floor and preserve sonic detail throughout the transfer chain. Carnaval, Op. 9 1 Préambule (2:15) 2 Pierrot (1:07) 3 Arlequin (1:06) 4 Valse noble (1:32) 5 Eusebius (1:39) 6 Florestan (1:00) 7 Coquette (1:03) 8 Réplique (0:50) 9 Papillons (0:40) 10 Lettres dansantes (0:57) 11 Chiarina (1:30) 12 Chopin (1:25) 13 Estrella (0:45) 14 Reconnaissance (1:45) 15 Pantalon et Colombine (0:55) 16 Valse allemande (0:52) 17 Paganini (Intermezzo) (1:16) 18 Aveu (1:10) 19 Promenade (2:36) 20 Pause (0:18) 21 Marche des "Davidsbündler" contre les Philistins (3:29) Fantasiestücke, Op. 12 22 In the Evening (4:06) 23 Soaring (3:21) 24 Query (3:12) 25 Whims (3:44) 26 In the Night (3:48) 27 Fable (2:33) 28 Dream Visions (2:29) 29 Song's End (5:34) Please Note: This release was edited in DXD PCM from a DSD256 Master then the DXD edited master was used to generate the final DSD files using Merging Technologies Album Publishing. DXD (352.8KHz 24/32 bit PCM) is one of the best and least destructive formats for post-processing DSD originated digital recordings Copyright © & ℗ High Definition Tape Transfers 2026, including all compilation, transfer, remastering, and restoration aspects Play Sample Tracks