Enigma

Nikolai Kapustin (1937 – 2020) Sonata No.1 Op.39 “Sonata-Fantasia”

The brilliant Nikolai Kapustin (as stated in his initial interviews in the West) wrote music for himself. The tiring sense of having to explain the exact place where the divide between his obvious deep love and influence of Jazz and Classical lie – must have left him feeling resentful of ever agreeing to talk about his unique work. The more I hear his music the more I am convinced that the answer lies in front of us – Kapustin simply did not wish to put energy into it – compared to the actual act of composition. However that answer is – there is not a divide – so perhaps listening without a divide can put us closer to the magical place from which he operated. A place that could only come from an infinitely curious spirit, a famously rigorous Classical training in Russia, and not only an influence but a love and highly developed Jazz talent – combined – but expressed primarily through a Classical means. Fully aware of the strong improvising component in Classical music history – this would perhaps naturally be a casualty as the love of performing per se decreased and gave way to only composing and recording. Not even Jazz would awaken the chances of seeing him improvise in real time (in either fashion). A real shame! The worlds do not collide here or work across a divide – they coexist and take effortless sculpted turns to speak or harmonise.

i Vivace Like an Escher etching – depending where your ear is – there are moments where we flip between the improvised intro to a contemporary Jazz trios’ take on a standard – and the midst of a late 19th to mid-20th Century Russian piano concerto solo exposition. Sometimes within a bar. The imagery of the Jazz club and concert hall are thus in constant dialogue or superimposed. The clues are in the absolute assurance of form, the absence of improvisatory risk – but the spirit of a frozen extemporisation is nevertheless – very strong.