A little Nikolai Kapustin

[barnardo]

https://soundcloud.com/bernard-pulham/jazz-concert-study-no-3

I have recently tried to play something outside my zones here ( having no jazz background at all) in the rewarding study of the popular Toccatina from Kapustin's Concert Etudes opus 40.
It's been great to play and my audience has appreciated something different, but what does everyone think about this interpretation? Best bits and worst bits! I don't think I have natural feeling for the idiom, but Kapustin's scores do give non-jazzers like myself a chance to experience a popular harmonic language, along with a unique intensity of rhythmic detail.
I'm well aware of the marvellous recordings available, and just awestruck by Hamelin's LH in particular. I was encouraged to learn this well known Toccatina first, but I am also
particularly fond of the Intermezzo (no.7) in the whole set.

[rachfan]

Bravo, barnardo!  Kapustin's music is reputed to be very difficult to play, so many if not most classically trained pianists (including myself) don't even attempt it.  You had great courage to do so.  (Incidently, Kapustin denies that he composes jazz per se, as he has never considered himself to be a true jazz pianist.  Interesting.)  Regardless, I believe that your recording is superb.  I don't know enough about jazz idiom to critique it in detail. But the energy, excitement and beauty of your rendition is most convincing indeed and speaks for itself.  You put it across to the listener very effectively.  Congrats!

David