Alexander Labko - A Legend Emerges!! (IMHO)

[JohnGavin]

For at least 15 years I have so deeply admired the playing of Alexander Labko accompanied by Maestro Evgeni Svetlanov in the 3 Violin Sonatas of Nicholai Medtner. Labko's playing often necessitated having a box of tissues nearby - such a big Russian heart this man had!

So for years I tried to find other recordings of his, or information about him in general. No results for years.

The other day I decided to do a YouTube search and surprise - a wealth of entries surfaced - of both audio, and live concert footage. What a surprise. It turns out Mr. Labko is a sort of musical chameleon.

An obviously serious musician on one hand, and a comic and clown and ham on the other! He has a face for comedy almost like no other. And this quintessential Russian musician plays Gershwin, Scott Joplin, and all sorts of things. I love the warmth and charisma of this musician - irresistible.

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So here is a small sampling of Mr. Labko's work:

Medtner - Sonata #3 (Epic) Mvt. 1

Mr. Labko being the clown and ham:

Strauss - Pizzacato Polka

Chausson Poeme

Gershwin:

(Arri: Please don't tell us how inferior he is to Kreisler)

Grieg Sonata #3 with Vladimir Ashkenazy

Kroll: Banjo and Fiddle

[Oscar]

Post by JohnGavin
For at least 15 years I have so deeply admired the playing of Alexander Labko accompanied by
Maestro Evgeni Svetlanov in the 3 Violin Sonatas of Nicholai Medtner. Labko's playing often
necessitated having a box of tissues nearby - such a big Russian heart this man had!

For the record, here are the two Russian Disc CD's of Medtner Sonatas to which Mr. Gavin refers.

http://tinyurl.com/oqx59ug
http://tinyurl.com/mna3fbq

[arri bachrach]

John,

forget Kreisler: the playing in the Grieg is 'inferior' in many ways which I have pointed out previously.. Just listen to Kreisler to hear how it should be played. He has serious musical deficiencies which you obviously don't hear....

AB

Post by JohnGavin
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Medtner - Sonata #3 (Epic) Mvt. 1
http://youtu.be/V9VGVqMixeU
Strauss - Pizzacato Polka
http://youtu.be/AOIbgbURa0w
Chausson Poeme
http://youtu.be/TVIeVXebYXI
http://youtu.be/yoPlgSxDbKo
(Arri: Please don't tell us how inferior he is to Kreisler)
Grieg Sonata #3 with Vladimir Ashkenazy
http://youtu.be/GvHUSBDwlxk
Kroll: Banjo and Fiddle
http://youtu.be/H4dS4kTjIZg

[John Wiser]

Post by arri bachrach
John,
forget Kreisler: the playing in the Grieg is 'inferior' in many ways which I have pointed out
previously.. Just listen to Kreisler to hear how it should be played. He has serious musical
deficiencies which you obviously don't hear....

That's all as may be.
My problem with Labko/Svetlanov in Medtner
is their prevailing

p o n d e r o u s n e s s .

For comparison, try the Third Sonata with
Oistrakh/Goldenweiser or the Hansen/Medtner First.

jdw

[JohnGavin]

Post by John Wiser

Post by arri bachrach
John,
forget Kreisler: the playing in the Grieg is 'inferior' in many ways which I have pointed out
previously.. Just listen to Kreisler to hear how it should be played. He has serious musical
deficiencies which you obviously don't hear....

That's all as may be.
My problem with Labko/Svetlanov in Medtner
is their prevailing
p o n d e r o u s n e s s .
For comparison, try the Third Sonata with
Oistrakh/Goldenweiser or the Hansen/Medtner First.
jdw

Goldenweiser is much too shy in his playing for my taste. The piano part is far too important.

(I wish I could somehow contract the letters or reduce the font for "shy" the way you expanded them for "ponderousness", just to drive the point home.)

[Frank Berger]

Had you not appended "IMHO" to the subject line, I nevertheless would
have assumed you were presenting your own opinion.

Just sayin'.

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[arri bachrach]

Post by Frank Berger
Had you not appended "IMHO" to the subject line, I nevertheless would
have assumed you were presenting your own opinion.
Just sayin'.
---
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in our group, most people present their own opinion, no?

AB

[John Wiser]

Post by arri bachrach

Post by Frank Berger
Had you not appended "IMHO" to the subject line, I nevertheless would
have assumed you were presenting your own opinion.
Just sayin'.

in our group, most people present their own opinion, no?

If not, then whose?
In certain cases,
anybody's but.

jdw

[Lionel Tacchini]

Post by arri bachrach

Post by Frank Berger
Had you not appended "IMHO" to the subject line, I nevertheless would
have assumed you were presenting your own opinion.
Just sayin'.

in our group, most people present their own opinion, no?

Not necessarily. Some present what they feel is the proper opinion to
have in an act of adaptation to the ambient situation. They'll change it
to match the evolving ambiance or keep it as a nostalgia of the ambiance
of a past. It is not really an own opinion, more a flock-opinion akin to
a mother-tongue.

Others have the one opinion that opinions are to be humble, if expressed
at all, and that there is only one truth worth accepting if
scientifically proven or strongly accepted - both methods seem to be valid.

Children books telling tales of Alexander Labko killing dragons with his
bow or pulling it out of an anvil would be objective signs of an
emerging legend.

[Bob Harper]

Post by arri bachrach

Post by Frank Berger
Had you not appended "IMHO" to the subject line, I nevertheless would
have assumed you were presenting your own opinion.
Just sayin'.
---
This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software.
http://www.avast.com

in our group, most people present their own opinion, no?
AB

YOu certainly do, Arri, and unfortunately it's almost always negative.
Gets to be a bore.

Bob Harper

[arri bachrach]

Post by Bob Harper

Post by arri bachrach

Post by Frank Berger
Had you not appended "IMHO" to the subject line, I nevertheless would
have assumed you were presenting your own opinion.
Just sayin'.
---
This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software.
http://www.avast.com

in our group, most people present their own opinion, no?
AB

YOu certainly do, Arri, and unfortunately it's almost always negative.
Gets to be a bore.
Bob Harper

bored people dont usually read much Bob..... stay away from my posts, you might learn something

AB