Rubinstein's substantial repertoire appears in Appendix B of From Paris to Peoria, as does the contents of his legendary series of seven farewell solo recitals in New York. A selection of his American programs illustrating his repertoire appears below.

Complete programs were only occasionally printed in newspaper advertisements or detailed in concert reviews. Mistakes in printed programs and advertisements, which range from misleading typography to errors that mangle the titles or place a work in such keys as B-sharp, also thwart the task of compiling a comprehensive list of Rubinstein's concert offerings. Frequently, programs are intentionally vague, indicating only a generic title (e.g., Beethoven Sonata, Chopin Nocturne) that allowed Rubinstein to choose the specific selection at the inspiration of the moment, his choices only occasionally illuminated by reviews.(1)

Deliberate and accidental changes in the program by Rubinstein also exacerbate the problem. One eye witness claimed that Rubinstein often arrived at a concert unaware of the selections he was to play that evening and simply consulted a program placed on the piano.(2) Rubinstein may have occasionally played a piece unaware of what was scheduled,(3) but he, as well as the other performers, felt free to diverge from the program at his own whim or by request from an audience member.(4)

The following examples illustrate programs that include concertos, programs for cities that only received a single performance per visit, and programs for cities that received a series of concerts. Although Rubinstein's repertoire was considerable, a core repertoire appears in most of his programs (as discussed in detail in From Paris to Peoria).

1. In Providence, the advertisement claimed that Rubinstein would perform some of Mendelssohn's Songs without Words, which he would "select while sitting at the key-board" (Providence Daily Journal, 23 December 1872, 3:2).

2. Eduardo Marzo, "Touring the States with Strakosch's Stars in '73," Musical America 27 (2 February 1918): 11.

3. In Memphis, for example, Rubinstein performed Handel's Air and Variations and Mendelssohn's Variations sérieuses "thinking they were what had been 'billed.'" The local critic did not think they were a "fair substitute" for Schumann's Symphonic Etudes. In Chicago, he substituted the Symphonic Etudes for his own Suite (Memphis Daily Appeal, 13 February 1873, 4:5; Chicago Daily Tribune, 22 February 1873, 5:3).

4. In Troy, Rubinstein substituted the "Moonlight" Sonata for a Chopin nocturne at such a request. The person had actually asked for the "Pathétique," but the request was "improperly conveyed to the artiste" (Troy Daily Times, 20 November 1872, 3:2).