Nikolai Kapustin, the composer, considers himself a composer above all, stating he has never been a jazz musician and is not interested in improvisation.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Kapustin recognized Johann Sebastian Bach as a decisive influence and stated that 'a sonata form can not be improvised'.
Recording & Production
Except for the Eight Concert Studies, Op. 40, all other works on this CD are world premiere recordings.
Composer Biography
Nikolai Kapustin, a Ukrainian pianist and composer, began piano studies at age seven with Avrilian Rubakh, a disciple of Felix Blumenfeld, who also taught Vladimir Horowitz.
Composer Biography
Kapustin was fascinated by jazz in his youth in Moscow and even played with his own group and integrated into Oleg Lundstrem's big band, which was recognized by Guinness World Records as the oldest active jazz band.
Performer Biography
Ludmil Angelov, one of the pianists on this album, has performed several world premieres of Kapustin's works since 2005, including the Concerto for two pianos and percussion and Piano Sonata No. 14.
Compositional Technique
Kapustin's music is characterized by its extraordinary difficulty for performers and its curious jazz improvisation aspect, even though everything is meticulously written in the scores.
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