Born in Moscow in 1944, Alexei Lubimov is described as "one of the most strikingly original musicians performing today, widely known for his dual passion and aptitude for the music of the Baroque (especially performed on early instruments), and of the 20th century. In the 1960’s, Lubimov gave the Moscow premieres of works by John Cage and Terry Riley, and subsequently brought attention in that region to works by contemporary composers such as Schönberg, Ives, and Pärt. He also embraced the essential repertoire of the 19th century and works composed for early piano, and initiated performance of music for harpsichord and fortepiano in the USSR. In the 1980’s, when political restrictions gradually receded, Lubimov began giving concerts in Western Europe, North America, and Japan. Today, Lubimov performs an enormous variety of repertoire on stages around the world, ranging from Lincoln Center to the Salzburg Festival. In March, Lubimov will take the stage of BAC’s Jerome Robbins Theater in two programs that showcase his extraordinary breadth of musical expertise."
On March 22-24, in a program of music and dance, Lubimov will play composer John Cage’s Four Walls with a new staging of choreographer Merce Cunningham’s Doubletoss. Four Walls, written by Cage in 1944, uses only the white keys of the piano, and incorporates many of his seminal ideas—repetition, intense ostinatos, and silence. Doubletoss, a work for 14 dancers, was originally created by Cunningham in 1993 by the merging of two separately choreographed dances, for which a double roll of the dice determined the order of movement sequences. 4 Walls / Doubletoss Interludes—arranged by Robert Swinston, Director of Choreography for the Merce Cunningham Trust—will be performed by an ensemble of eight former Merce Cunningham dancers. Through this unique collaboration between Lubimov and the Cunningham Trust, the voices of Cage and Cunningham are merged in a new work, performed by artists who were all deeply inspired by the legendary artistic duo.
On March 27-28, Lubimov will further showcase his musical versatility with performances of Glinka’s Introduction and Variations on a Theme from I Capuleti e i Montecchi; Schubert’s Two Impromptus, Op. 90; and Beethoven’s Sonatas, Op. 109 and 111. Playing on a copy of a 6 ½-octave 1820’s Viennese fortepiano (made by Rod Regier), Lubimov will provide a rare opportunity for audiences to experience these works as they would have been heard at the time they were written and performed, nearly 200 years ago.
PROGRAM + TICKET INFORMATION
4 Walls / Doubletoss Interludes will take place March 22-24, Thursday and Friday at 8PM, and Saturday at 2PM and 8PM.
Alexei Lubimov, fortepiano will take place March 27-28, Tuesday and Wednesday at 8PM.
Tickets for all performances are $25 and can be purchased through BACNYC.ORG or 866-811-4111.
Performances will take place at the Baryshnikov Arts Center’s Jerome Robbins Theater, which is located at 450 W. 37th Street between 9th and 10th Avenues.
