Alexei Lubimov

Pianist (Russia)
Represented in Scandinavia excl. Finland (Denmark, Iceland, Norway, Sweden).

Lubimov made his mark as a champion of contemporary composers in 1968, when he gave the Moscow debuts of works by John Cage and Terry Riley.

Biography

Alexei Lubimov was born in Moscow in 1944, and began his musical training at the Central Music School. Lubimov made his concert debut with an orchestra in Moscow at the age of 12. Beginning in 1963, he attended the Moscow Conservatory where he was one of the last students of Heinrich Neuhaus. He won First Prize at the All-Russian Piano Competition when he was 16 and was also a prize-winner at international competitions in Rio de Janeiro and Montreal.

Lubimov made his mark as a champion of contemporary composers in 1968, when he gave the Moscow debuts of works by John Cage and Terry Riley. From then on his career was slowed down by the ideological censorship which prevailed in the former Soviet Union. Between 1968-75, he premiered compositions by Russian composers such as Schnittke, Gubaidulina, and Silvestrov, as well as by Schoenberg, Webern, Ives, and Ligeti. In 1988, he founded the Moscow avant-garde festival "Alternativa".

In the 1980's, Lubimov devoted a great deal of his time to authentic instruments and became an outstanding performer and specialist in that field. He formed the Moscow Baroque Quartet and pioneered harpsichord and fortepiano performances in the USSR, and he also founded a baroque ensemble, the Moscow Chamber Academy with Tatiana Grindenko.

Since 1987, Lubimov has performed outside Russia appearing throughout Europe, America, and Japan, including recitals in Amsterdam, Oslo, and London. He has appeared with such orchestras as the Moscow and Saint Petersburg Philharmonic, Helsinki Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, London’s Royal Philharmonic, BBC Symphony, San Francisco Symphony, Toronto Symphony, Tokyo Symphony, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Wiener Akademie, Netherlands Chamber Orchestra etc. He has participated in numerous festivals: Lockenhaus, Menuhin Festival Gstaad, Salzburg Festival, Berliner, Festwochen, Carinthian Summer, La Roque d'Anthéron, etc.

Lubimov has performed with such conductors as Vladimir Ashkenazy, Kyrill Kondrashin, David Oistrakh, Gennady Rozhdestvensky, Charles Mackerras, Marek Janowski, Neeme Järvi, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Frans Brüggen, etc. He often performs chamber music with Natalia Gutman, Heinrich Schiff, Christian Tetzlaff, and Andreas Staier. He also frequently collaborates as pianist for German tenor Peter Schreier.

Lubimov was recently named to the faculty of the renowned Mozarteum in Salzburg. His recordings include over 30 discs, recorded in the 1970's and 80's, for the Russian label Melodia; the complete Mozart Sonatas on fortepiano, and works by Schubert, Chopin, Beethoven, and Brahms for Erato; and 20th century music for BIS and Sony.

Press Quotes

...brisk, free of cinematic sentiment...he gives the illusion of keeping strict time while subtly pushing and pulling at tempos... After all, this is what Mozart is about".

— Bernard Holland, The New York Times

...Lubimov proved himself a flexible, inspired partner. For him, selfless following obviously is no more fruitful than aggressive leading. The versatile Muscovite did his own Romantic singing at the keyboard - always warm and sympathetic, virtuousic yet understated, assertive yet poetic. Don't call him an accompanist.

— Martin Bernheimer, Los Angeles Times, January 1995

In familiar Liszt and Chopin, Lubimov offered more imaginative faithfulness than I have heard in some time, different in innumerable details from the "standard" readings. But every time one thought, "Now, there's something you couldn't do on a modern grand!" It was also something that perhaps only Lubimov would have thought of doing anyway. The sound never seemed miniaturised: the third and fourth Chopin Ballades rose to glorious climaxes, and the three members of the audience who left before the encores missed a magnificent Barcarolle.

— David Murray, The Financial Times (London), May 1993

...absolutely beautiful...he shows a real command of what that sort of instrument can give you in the way articulation and shaping.

— Nicholas Kenyon, BBC Radio 3 Record Review, January 1992

...quite a revelation...Lubimov brings a big, modern technique to bear on these (Mozart) sonatas...K533's marvelous first movement has lots of incredible, rich counterpoint and tremendous harmonic twists which Lubimov makes the most of...the slow movement, too, is really superb where he builds up the phrases and sequences architecturally with careful timing...

— Stanley Sadie, BBC Radio 3 Record Review, January 1992

Lubimov's instrument...played once by Mozart himself...comes to life when played with the musicality and sense of fantasy displayed by this remarkable pianist.

— Hugh Canning, The Sunday Times

Genuine, captivating Chopin dramatics!

— Folke Gärsbeck, Hufvudstadabladet, Helsinki.

The solo part of the C Major Concerto (KV 467) by Mozart was played by Lubimov with such expressiveness that even the connoisseurs of that work could only marvel at it and adore it. He translates Mozart's score into such a captivating interpretation that you simply don't think about other possibilities. The inborn musicality, combined with an extremely sharp intellect, is not all that fascinates in this exceptional talent. To be added is a brilliant technique and a touch, capable of enticing the most eloquent effects from the instrument. This was once more evidenced in a deeply touching way, recalling into one's consciousness all the clair-obscure of the Fantasy in d minor (KV 397) of the Viennese maestro, which this highly sympathetic and modest artist offered as a way of saying thanks for the enthusiastic applause.

— Karl-Heinz Friebel, Weimar.

The music really catches life in his hands: even the simplest tones start talking and to speak.

— Hannu Wuorela, Turun Sanomat, Turku, Finland.

Alexei Lubimov demonstrated with Chopin's Ballade in g minor how beautiful an Erard grand from 1850 can sound.

— Wolfgang Lemperid, Die Welt, Berlin, Germany.

With small musical details and an excellent musical execution, Lubimov brought the work (Mozart KV 595) to life, joyfully and brilliantly.

— Jouko Koskela, Aamulehti, Tampere, Finland.

...Lubimov always surprises. His musical thinking is clear like crystal and always inspired. He posesses a rare gift; he can transplant the musical ideas of the composer into reality. He is a genius without the aura of a genius.

— Seppo Kallio, Turun Sanomat, Finland.