{"title":"Nikolai Kapustin","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"kapustin-between-the-lines","title":"Kapustin: Between the Lines","description":"Electrifying debut album from a bold new voice in classical piano.    British pianist Ophelia Gordon makes a striking debut with this album of works by Nikolai Kapustin, the Soviet composer whose music fuses the harmonic language and rhythmic drive of jazz with the formal precision of classical composition. Though Kapustin's music sounds improvised, every note is meticulously written - jazz in spirit, but classical in structure.    Gordon brings rare authenticity to this repertoire, having tracked down long out-of-print vinyl recordings of Kapustin's own performances in a personal search for the composer's true voice. The programme is carefully curated to offer a compelling listening arc, capturing Kapustin's wit, lyricism, and fire with both intimacy and flair.    Recorded on a characterful 1961 Steinway D, the album's sound is warm, immediate, and rich in detail - engineered with a microphone setup designed to balance the immediacy of a jazz trio with the depth and clarity of classical solo piano.    This release marks two milestones: the first full Kapustin album by a British female pianist, and the first classical album by a BRIT School alum. With a growing reputation for fearless artistry and cross-genre fluency, Gordon offers a vital new perspective on one of the most original piano voices of the 20th century.","brand":"Divine Art","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46012498247914,"sku":"809730113024","price":18.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/4454983-3445248_59d2aaf5-4405-4a6f-b43a-64855c22d483.jpg?v=1778211294"},{"product_id":"kapustin-blueprint-frank-dupree-trio","title":"Kapustin: Blueprint \/ Frank Dupree Trio","description":"\u003cp\u003eKapustin uses jazz as his musical language and then composes quasi-improvisations that sound as though they flowed right from Oscar Peterson’s or Erroll Garner’s fingers. He is one of the few who were able to have the structures of composition and liberty of improvisation come together to such an organic whole. After his first successful release with the piano- and double concerto of Russian composer Nikolai Kapustin, Frank Dupree presents the original jazzy solo piano pieces of the still mostly unknown master, enlarged with bass and drums. The genres of jazz and classical music melt together into a fascinating new formation.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eREVIEW:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNikolai Kapustin has been described as ‘A Russian in Gershwin’s clothing’ and on listening to this disc it is immediately understandable as to why. Like Gershwin Kapustin was classically trained (by Alexander Goldenweiser among others) and never considered himself a jazz pianist though as he explained he had to become one to create and play his compositions.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAll the selected pieces that German pianist Frank Dupree has put together for this disc were originally written for piano solo. Frank has cleverly used the piano’s left hand plus harmonic structure to form the double bass part while drummer ‘Obi’ Jenne does improvise upon the other two musicians’ product. All three musicians are at the top of their game here and make the most powerful case for the chosen material. The result is a hugely enjoyable disc of brilliantly scintillating jazz that has a smile on its face from beginning to end. I had come across the composer last year and enjoyed what I heard but can honestly say that the addition of bass and drums has lifted the compositions to a new level and made them more enjoyable and I believe will attract a wider audience. This can only do the reputation of Nikolai Kapustin a great deal of good and open up his other compositions to greater public interest.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e21 of the 23 tracks on the disc are original compositions by Kapustin while the closing pair are his tribute to Ary Barosso’s\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eAquarela do Brasil\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003eand Kenny Dorham’s\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eBlue Bossa\u003c\/em\u003e. This is a delightful disc that will surprise and thrill every jazz piano fan who might not have thought a product of Soviet times could compose such life-affirming jazz.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e--\u003cem\u003eMusicWeb International \u003c\/em\u003e(Steve Arloff)\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Capriccio","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46012630499562,"sku":"845221054391","price":16.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/4037989-2776293.jpg?v=1778267930"},{"product_id":"kapustin-piano-concerto-no-5-dupree-beykirch-berlin-rso","title":"Kapustin: Piano Concerto No. 5 \/ Dupree, Beykirch, Berlin RSO","description":"\u003cp\u003eWhen the music of Nikolai Kapustin was discovered by a wider audience in the West, it was positively shocking: Who was this Soviet (!) composer, whose music sounded more like an Oscar Peterson improvisation than anything else – but who wrote detailed scores, black with notes?! As we discover more and more of his music (and there’s so much more yet to discover!), a very distinct, always wholly charming voice emerges, whether in a freewheeling outright-jazzy work like his Concerto for 2 Pianos and Percussion, the more symphonic Fifth Piano Concerto, or the frisky Sinfonietta which transports us into a smoky 1940s bar in Manhattan.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eREVIEWS\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-widget_type=\"theme-post-content.default\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-id=\"41b404e9\" class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-41b404e9 elementor-widget elementor-widget-theme-post-content\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"elementor-widget-container\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis splendid new release confirms the excellent impression made by its predecessors, especially the remarkable disc containing the Fourth Piano Concerto and other orchestral works. Kapustin’s jazz-inflected style offers a full range of expressive nuance projected in a consistently kinetic, refreshing and melodically attractive language that is uniquely his own. The Fifth Piano Concerto is a single-movement work about twenty minutes long, and there’s not a dull moment, particularly in Frank Dupree’s nimble and virtuosic performance. Whiplash interchanges between the solo and orchestra ensure endless textural variety, while the musical ideas tumble over one another with uninhibited abandon. It’s as lovable as it is sophisticated, with the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra under Dominik Beykirch having a great time as a full participant in the proceedings.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Concerto for Two Pianos and Percussion will evoke memories of Bartók’s Sonata for the same combination, but otherwise the two works couldn’t be more different in style. The percussion here is basically a drum set, plus a selection of mallet instruments including xylophone, vibraphone and glockenspiel. The piece is a touch more harmonically astringent than the concerto, but no less engaging. Franck Dupree is joined here by equally able Adrian Brendle on second piano, who also participates in this lively version of the delightful Sinfonietta for piano four-hands. This piece also exists as an orchestral original, which we can only hope to hear someday–it’s a tuneful, high-spirited gem. As you might have surmised, the performances leave nothing to be desired, and Capriccio’s sonics are first rate. This series only goes from strength to strength. You will surely want to hear it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e-- ClassicsToday.com (\u003cstrong\u003e10\/10\u003c\/strong\u003e; David Hurwitz)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan class=\"HwtZe\" jsname=\"jqKxS\" jsaction=\"mouseup:Sxi9L,BR6jm; mousedown:qjlr0e\" lang=\"en\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"jCAhz ChMk0b\" jscontroller=\"Gn4SMb\" jsname=\"txFAF\" jsaction=\"agoMJf:PFBcW;MZfLnc:P7O7bd;nt4Alf:pvnm0e,pfE8Hb,PFBcW;B01qod:dJXsye;H1e5u:iXtTIf;lYIUJf:hij5Wb;bmeZHc:iURhpf;Oxj3Xe:qAKMYb,yaf12d\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ryNqvb\" jsname=\"W297wb\" jsaction=\"click:E6Tfl,GFf3ac,tMZCfe; contextmenu:Nqw7Te,QP7LD; mouseout:Nqw7Te; mouseover:E6Tfl,c2aHje\"\u003ePianist Frank Dupree, with his stupendous pianistic bravura, his glowing personal commitment, and ultimately his standard-setting recordings, allows us to understand Kapustin's genius in all its stylistic range.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan class=\"HwtZe\" jsname=\"jqKxS\" jsaction=\"mouseup:Sxi9L,BR6jm; mousedown:qjlr0e\" lang=\"en\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"jCAhz ChMk0b\" jscontroller=\"Gn4SMb\" jsname=\"txFAF\" jsaction=\"agoMJf:PFBcW;MZfLnc:P7O7bd;nt4Alf:pvnm0e,pfE8Hb,PFBcW;B01qod:dJXsye;H1e5u:iXtTIf;lYIUJf:hij5Wb;bmeZHc:iURhpf;Oxj3Xe:qAKMYb,yaf12d\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ryNqvb\" jsname=\"W297wb\" jsaction=\"click:E6Tfl,GFf3ac,tMZCfe; contextmenu:Nqw7Te,QP7LD; mouseout:Nqw7Te; mouseover:E6Tfl,c2aHje\"\u003eThe Fifth Piano Concerto Op. 72, written in 1993 for the pianist Nikolai Petrov, is characterized by incredible virtuosity. The stylistic parallels to the US music tradition and in particular to George Gershwin, are emphasized again and again. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan class=\"HwtZe\" jsname=\"jqKxS\" jsaction=\"mouseup:Sxi9L,BR6jm; mousedown:qjlr0e\" lang=\"en\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"jCAhz ChMk0b\" jscontroller=\"Gn4SMb\" jsname=\"txFAF\" jsaction=\"agoMJf:PFBcW;MZfLnc:P7O7bd;nt4Alf:pvnm0e,pfE8Hb,PFBcW;B01qod:dJXsye;H1e5u:iXtTIf;lYIUJf:hij5Wb;bmeZHc:iURhpf;Oxj3Xe:qAKMYb,yaf12d\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ryNqvb\" jsname=\"W297wb\" jsaction=\"click:E6Tfl,GFf3ac,tMZCfe; contextmenu:Nqw7Te,QP7LD; mouseout:Nqw7Te; mouseover:E6Tfl,c2aHje\"\u003eSecond on the album is a later work by the composer, namely the Concerto for 2 Pianos and Percussion Op. 104 from 2002. Is it presumptuous to interpret this glittering, entertaining, exuberantly celebrating life and yet formally quite concise piece as a hymn to freedom. From a purely musical point of view, a real event can be reported: Frank Dupree and the equally young Adrian Brendle form Kapustin's exuberant concert session in swirling concordance with the percussionists Meinhard 'Obi' Jenne and Franz Bach under the musical direction of Dominik Beykirch and the stylish Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra to an impasto big band sound full of wispy shooting star sounds.\u003cspan class=\"jCAhz\" jscontroller=\"Gn4SMb\" jsname=\"txFAF\" jsaction=\"agoMJf:PFBcW;MZfLnc:P7O7bd;nt4Alf:pvnm0e,pfE8Hb,PFBcW;B01qod:dJXsye;H1e5u:iXtTIf;lYIUJf:hij5Wb;bmeZHc:iURhpf;Oxj3Xe:qAKMYb,yaf12d\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan class=\"HwtZe\" jsname=\"jqKxS\" jsaction=\"mouseup:Sxi9L,BR6jm; mousedown:qjlr0e\" lang=\"en\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"jCAhz ChMk0b\" jscontroller=\"Gn4SMb\" jsname=\"txFAF\" jsaction=\"agoMJf:PFBcW;MZfLnc:P7O7bd;nt4Alf:pvnm0e,pfE8Hb,PFBcW;B01qod:dJXsye;H1e5u:iXtTIf;lYIUJf:hij5Wb;bmeZHc:iURhpf;Oxj3Xe:qAKMYb,yaf12d\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ryNqvb\" jsname=\"W297wb\" jsaction=\"click:E6Tfl,GFf3ac,tMZCfe; contextmenu:Nqw7Te,QP7LD; mouseout:Nqw7Te; mouseover:E6Tfl,c2aHje\"\u003eThe album concludes with the Sinfonietta for Piano Four Hands Op. 49 with the movements Overture, Allegro; Slow Waltz, Larghetto; Intermezzo, Allegretto and Rondo, Presto. Commissioned by the Soviet Ministry of Culture in 1987, the “little symphony” was first set for an orchestral version, and is performed here in an arrangement by the composer for piano four hands. The two mood cannons Dupree and Brendle swept across the keyboard like a roaring whirlwind, doing bella figura in the languid three-four bar slow waltz, before escorting us out of the album into the silence with intricate rhythms and a furious finale.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan class=\"HwtZe\" jsname=\"jqKxS\" jsaction=\"mouseup:Sxi9L,BR6jm; mousedown:qjlr0e\" lang=\"en\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"jCAhz ChMk0b\" jscontroller=\"Gn4SMb\" jsname=\"txFAF\" jsaction=\"agoMJf:PFBcW;MZfLnc:P7O7bd;nt4Alf:pvnm0e,pfE8Hb,PFBcW;B01qod:dJXsye;H1e5u:iXtTIf;lYIUJf:hij5Wb;bmeZHc:iURhpf;Oxj3Xe:qAKMYb,yaf12d\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ryNqvb\" jsname=\"W297wb\" jsaction=\"click:E6Tfl,GFf3ac,tMZCfe; contextmenu:Nqw7Te,QP7LD; mouseout:Nqw7Te; mouseover:E6Tfl,c2aHje\"\u003e-- Merker Online (Germany)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Capriccio","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46012650062058,"sku":"845221054957","price":16.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/4169761-2936531.jpg?v=1778231908"},{"product_id":"kapustin-piano-concertos-nos-2-6","title":"Kapustin: Piano Concertos Nos. 2 \u0026 6 \/ Dupree, Beykirch, WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln","description":"When the music of Nikolai Kapustin was discovered by a wider audience in the West, it was positively shocking: Who was this Soviet (!) composer, whose music sounded more like an Oscar Peterson improvisation than anything else - but who wrote detailed scores, black with notes?! As we discover more and more of his music and as we again can hear on the present recording, Kapustin developed his style subtly and steadily. He went with the times. As the music that influenced him changed, so did Kapustin's. The development of Big Band Jazz can be traced in his work. In that sense Kapustin never settled on one style (within the parameters of his unique fusion of jazz and classical, granted) but remained flexible about the musical material and the way he related it to the orchestra.","brand":"Capriccio","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46012663365866,"sku":"845221055282","price":16.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/4368198-3232800.jpg?v=1778234326"}],"url":"https:\/\/arkivmusic.com\/collections\/nikolai-kapustin.oembed","provider":"ArkivMusic","version":"1.0","type":"link"}