Remembering virtuoso pianist Arthur Rubinstein

December 20 marks the 38th anniversary of the death of Arthur Rubinstein, the legendary Polish pianist of Jewish descent.

Arthur Rubinstein, pictured in 1976.

Photo: PAP/dpa/Rauschnick

In a tribute to one of the most outstanding piano virtuosos of the last century, the state-run Institute of National Remembrance (IPN) recalled how Rubinstein lobbied for the Polish cause during the signing ceremony of the Charter of the United Nations in San Francisco on June 26, 1945.

As the Polish government-in-exile, which signed the 1942 Declaration of the United Nations, was not recognized by the Soviet Union, and Western politicians did not want to harm relations with Josef Stalin, there were no Polish delegates present, nor even was the Polish flag displayed in the hall.

Rubinstein, who was asked to grace the ceremony with his performance, stopped playing after a few bars and, to the surprise of many, addressed the audience with the following words: "In this hall where the great nations gather to make a better world, I miss the flag of Poland, for which this cruel war was fought.”

Then he asked everyone to stand up and played the Polish national anthem.

When he finished, the public gave him a long ovation.

As a patriot, he opposed the exclusion of Poland at the inauguration of the #UnitedNations in 1945.

🗣 "Here in this room, you want to arrange a happy future for the world. I miss the Polish flag. I cannot tolerate it! I will play the Polish anthem for you. And please get up!" pic.twitter.com/Wk4wfhV8PW

— Institute of National Remembrance (@ipngovpl_eng) December 20, 2020

The Institute of National Remembrance said on its website that the Soviet delegation appeared to be furious to have been forced to stand up during this outburst of applause for Poland.

Rubinstein was born in the Polish city of Łódź on January 28, 1887 and took his first piano lessons there.

He went to Berlin at the age of 10 to continue his musical education. He settled abroad early in his life, and developed a spectacular concert career.

Pianist Arthur Rubinstein in concert in 1962. Photo: Rossem, Wim van / Anefo [CC BY-SA 3.0 nl (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/nl/deed.en)], via Wikimedia Commons

He made his first visit to Poland in 1958. In 1975, he performed in Łódź during events marking the 60th anniversary of the city’s Philharmonic Orchestra.

His last visit to his native town was in 1979, three years before his death, in Geneva, at the age of 92.

(mk/gs)