Nikolai Grigoryevich Rubinstein (
2 June 1835–23 March 1881) was a
Russian pianist and
composer. He was the younger brother of
Anton Rubinstein and a close friend of
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.
Born to
Jewish parents in
Moscow, where his father had just opened a small factory, he studied piano first with his mother, and later with
Alexander Villoing, like his brother. In the 1840s he and Anton were brought to Berlin by their mother, where they studied under Siegfried Dehn and attracted the interest and support of
Mendelssohn and
Meyerbeer. He was responsible for founding the
Moscow Conservatory on September 1, 1866 — he was also its director. He was generally regarded as one of the greatest pianists of his time, although now his reputation is overshadowed by his brother's. Nevertheless, his pianistic style was quite at odds with that of his fiery brother. Nikolai instead opted for a restrained classicism more in line with the musical values of
Clara Schumann than
Franz Liszt.
While holding his Moscow post, Nikolai persuaded Tchaikovsky to write for him the celebrated
Piano Concerto No. 1. According to Tchaikovsky's letters, Rubinstein was unimpressed with the work, and would only perform it if rewritten. Tchaikovsky refused, and the work was premiered instead by the pianist
Hans von Bülow. Nevertheless, Tchaikovsky wrote his
Piano Trio in A minor in Rubinstein's memory after he died in
Paris.
Nikolai Rubinstein was also a composer of some note. Among his most popular works is his
Tarantella in G minor and his
Fantasia on a Theme by
Schumann, both for piano solo.
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