To celebrate the 80th birthday of the visionary pianist,
fortepianist and harpsichordist Alexei Lubimov, whose
influence spans the 20th and 21st centuries, three
outstanding pianists and the master himself come
together for a programme which starts and ends with
Mozart but encompasses a wide range of repertoire in
between

Kapellmeister Lubimov leads us to the very heart of music with simplicity and mastery

Celebration of a master.
Alexei Lubimov at 80

A celebration for a legendary figure from his illustrious disciples.It was with great love that Alexander Melnikov had organised an eightieth birthday for his mentor who far from our shores is a revered master
It was obvious from the first notes of Mozart’s D minor fantasy on a modern day fortepiano that here was a master able to bring to life with an improvisatory freshness such a well know masterpiece .A timeless simplicity where every note was a living glowing presence that held us spell bound as a whole opera opened up before us .The mystery of the opening Andante set the scene for the poignant crystalline beauty of the Adagio played with the freedom of a stage personality in an opera with beseeching sighing semiquavers that were heart rending .The cadenzas were thrown off with nonchalant ease as the simple Allegretto entered like a breath of fresh air with ornaments that just brought even more sunshine to such radiance.

The whispered jeux perlé of the early A flat impromptu of Schubert was played with a clarity and even more so as the pedal stop was changed and we had to strain to hear such whispered beauty .The answering chords were given all the time they needed to make the music talk as never before .The subtle passion of the central episode was played with the same aristocratic timelessness that I remember from Rubinstein.
Infact Lubimov belongs to those very special memories in this hall that I have of Perlemuter Tagliaferro ,Del Peyo and of course Rubinstein who could all play with the real weight of artists who had digested the music and made it their own. A sense of communication where musical meaning and values were more important than stale perfection.
It is to Rubinstein we have to thank for saving the old Bechstein Hall from demolition in the 70’s .A hall reborn under William Lyne’s inspired programming having been renamed Wigmore after the First World War’s confiscation of all things German.

It is interesting to note that a new Bechstein Hall is about to be reborn just a stone’s throw from the old one almost 100 years on!
Some magnificent playing from Lubimov ‘s disciples in Stravinsky Beethoven and the dissident Volkonsky.But it is the master that we have come to celebrate tonight and it was a joyous occasion where the musical chairs in Schubert’s Divertissement allowed us another glimpse, if all too brief, of their master as he took his turn . And of course the master himself includes always in his programmes the music of the Ukrainian composer Silvestrov as a statement of protest and solidarity and tonight he included his Kitsch Music of 1977
A final glimpse of Mozart from Lubimov’s hands in duo with Olga Pashchenko illuminated this heartfelt tribute .
It concluded with three short Moments Musicaux specially written for the masters birthday celebration.

Hats off to Alexander Melnikov for honouring London with such a celebration of a giant of our time.

https://christopheraxworthymusiccommentary.com/2023/08/29/kapellmeister-lubimov-leads-us-to-the-very-heart-of-music-with-simplicity-and-mastery/
P.S
Dear Chris,
‘ Talking about the extreme rubato , it bothers me in Schubert slightly also! I loved Lubimovs playing very much except those strange slowing down every time he had chords in the impromptu. It breaks the flow of the line right from the beginning. Schubert is like pure water which needs to flow. But he sure had a magical touch and imagination.’

Dear illustrious colleague,
I agree about Schubert but when it is done with such conviction and communication from the hands of a master it does open a door like in Mozart that we take for granted too often. Listen to Cortot for example but only in small doses and never to be copied but to understand the poetic intent. Boulanger would always quote Shakespeare :’words without thought no more to heaven go ……..,’ not to copy but to open a gate……