31/05/2026
The Rubenstein Hartung Duo - One Piano, four hands
28th May 2026
Robin Rubenstein and Victoria Hartung delighted their audience in the seventh and final concert of the Society’s 67th season, performing on the superb Steinway piano in the grand setting of the Assembly Room at Grimsby Town Hall. They played a wonderfully diverse programme, opening brilliantly with the Allegro to Mozart’s C Major Sonata. From the start one was struck by the clear separation between both parts that was maintained throughout the concert, the full use of the Steinway’s dynamic range from sensitive pianos to exciting fortes – their Mozart rocked! The Allegro was contrasted by a sweet and delicate piano in the Andante second movement. The final Allegretto had a well-marked entry and Robin and Victoria performed many dazzling flourishes whilst remaining controlled through several false endings. The Mozart was well juxtaposed by the Schubert Fantasie in F Minor, a complex piece full of contrasts brought out well by Robin and Victoria in a seamless duet as they smoothly transitioned from one idea to the next, providing space for changes of mood and showing great stamina demanded by the piece.
After the interval Victoria and Robin changed places and performed Brahm’s Variations on a theme by Robert Schumann - Schumann’s ‘last musical thought’ that he said was dictated to him by angels; a luxurious piece with depth and contrast. Then followed Ravel’s wondrous Mother Goose Suite beginning with the delightful and impressionistic Sleeping Beauty, followed by the surprisingly gentle Tom Thumb. Empress of the Pagodas provided for exciting interplay between Robin and Victoria, and then Beauty and the Beast – at first gentle, then developing a tumultuous tension before giving way to a tingling delicately played close. The Fairy Garden provided a wonderful finale to the suite. In a first class display of skill and showmanship Robin and Victoria topped off their concert with Brahms Hungarian Dance No.5 – leaving the audience with a smile. IM
