Though in his late forties, Alexei Lubimov (one of the last pupils of the renowned Heinrich Neuhaus) is still enough of a stranger on these shores to need re-introduction as someone not only responsible for many important contemporary premieres in his native Russia, but also for his pioneering activity there for the performance of early music on period instruments. For this Chopin recital he chooses an Erard grand of 1837—of a kind much valued by the composer even though the firm of Pleyel soon proved a serious rival. Here, I enjoyed the instrument most for its delectably delicate, glistening treble—heard to best advantage, perhaps, in the filigree decoration of the Berceuse (though of course very often elsewhere too). Inevitably, most robust climaxes cannot be met with the depth and warmth of a modern keyboard, nor does its pedal action permit the same clarity of detail in faster, fuller textures—like those turbulent outbursts in the F major Ballade. Yet its mellow tone—and especialy in cantabile—I still found irresistably cajoling.
Lubimov himself impressed me as a sensitively discerning musician just as closely attuned to Chopin himself as to his instrument. In the Ballades, and especially No. 1, I sometimes wondered if his approach might prove too improvisational, in other words, if his flexibility of phrasing slightly militated against their longer and more broadly sustained flow. But since we're told that the very essence of Chopin's own playing was its improvisational spontaneity and rhythmic freedom (he's said never to have played any work the same way twice) maybe Lubinov was striving for 'authenticity' in this respect too. The F minor Fantasie and the Barcarolle I thought most beautifully timed, shaped and shaded. Reproduction is good.'