Nikolai Kapustin - Early Pieces Collection (1962-1982)

DISCLAIMER: All the rights belong to maestro Nikolai Kapustin - even of his unpublished pieces - as well as performances (also to A Bu’s 2017 recordings - check his channel here: ). This video’s main intention is to spread Kapustin’s compositional crafting to a greater audience, for them to better know his music NIKOLAI KAPUSTIN - Early Phase’s surviving recordings for big band and piano (1962-1982) (00:00) Op.3 = Variations (1962) (03:20) Op.6 = Rose-Marie Fantasia (1962) (12:51) Op.8 = Toccata (1964) (15:16) = Big Band Sounds (1966) (19:39) = Aquarium Blues (1967) (23:39) = Piano Concerto No.2 (1972) (mvt.2 29:16 / mvt.3 34:34) (39:12) = Nocturne (1972) (44:02) = Étude (1974) (47:40) = Nocturne (1974) (51:27) = Minuet (1974) (58:25) = March (1975) (1:00:54) = Concert Rhapsody (1976) (1:10:58) = Daybreak (1976) (1:14:32) = Meridian (1982) (1:18:22) = Closed Curve (1982) BONUS: (1:21:02) Op.3 = Variations (1962) [2017 PERFORMANCE] (1:24:21) = Etude (1974) [2017 PERFORMANCE] *[????] means that its recording wasn’t from the piece’s première. Ex: 2017 (A Bu’s performances) and 1980 (Tchaikovsky Hall performance) *[=] means that it has both original and 2017 recordings (thus making the “Extra“ part of this video with the new recordings) *I didn’t put a new recording of , so as not to make this video even bigger... as you can easily find lots of post-2010 performances of Concerto no.2 via internet * wasn’t included, for it being a piano solo piece * (Two-mvt. Concerto) wasn’t included, for it doesn’t having a published orchestral recording [I only found a two-pianos performance of it] These early pieces sound quite different of what we’re used to listen from Kapustin (all-jazzy stuff). Here, we have pieces designed for big bands, which really sounds more vintage than his most modern pieces. Maybe the 60’s-ish audio quality contributes to that. Anyways, enjoy Kapustin’s early pieces, most of them have only these recordings as a proof of existence: their sheet music are mislaid, with exception of the pieces performed by A Bu in 2017; and few other pieces from the list with found score and which got published I consider that Kapustin has 3 main compositional phases: 1st (1957-1980, 1982) as a big band composer and also as a concert pianist. It’s his peak 2nd (1983-1993) as a composer of piano concertos (last pieces with piano concert band) and piano sonatas 3rd (1994-2017) as a full piano composer, writing only for piano and eventually for small chamber groups [p.s: Closed Curve is the most “disco“ music with Opus number you’ll ever listen]