Kapustin Sonata no 1 - 1st mvt.

[michael18276]

Excellent playing., but your hands look green

[Lot2learn]

Excellent playing!

[nearenough3]

4c: Can I ask what you don't like about the three composers you mention here?

N: Sorabji is a poseur. Alkan didn't write good melodies. Busoni is soggy.

[ThoughtsofaPerson]

@nearenough3 Trolls. Why do they never cease to bore me?

"Sorabji is a poseur."

By what criteria?

"Alkan didn't write good melodies."

Could you tell us what they are? And perhaps also tell us why Liszt, Chopin and Debussy (among others) admired him?

"Busoni is soggy."

Whereas you are dry?

[pianobh6]

Very Good! Incred. Hulk!

[pianocanival]

I love Kapustin a ton!!....

Great post, I love this piece and this slow-tempo (in comparison with the original) seems to fit perfectly in the piece.

[nearenough3]

There seems to be a lot of Kapustin on U Tube. I'm wondering if good cocktail music needs pretentious titles like "Sonata" or "Etude." Some of the stuff is interesting but sounds random and atonal and fundamentally disagreeable. I wonder if he can produce any originalities like Mozart, Chopin, Schumann or Liszt. Can anyone get, ahem, melodic?

[usefulmusic]

I find this movement is totally coherent. There's a year's study in it it's so subtle. The improvisatory-sounding nature of it is a result of his genius. The more you listen the more you find in it.

[nearenough3]

Kapustin, after listening to it again, is harmless. It does have a use; it prevents you from listening to Alkan, Busoni and Sorabji.

[usefulmusic]

The trouble is, poor old Kapustin gets lumped in with those guys - fine musicians but with minimum inspiration. Listen to Steven Osborne's recording on Naxos. You'll be converted.

[burobbi]

most precisely. this is a slow, but nevertheless, secure reading.

nearenough - your almost offensive comments show you're still far from appreciating kapustin in its entirety. i suggest you take a copy of the score, start dissecting it and discover the amazing things inside. kapustin is much, much more than an alkan, busoni, sorabji alternative, and much more than good cocktail music.

i wish you all the best in your enjoyment of music.

[4candles]

The 'minimum inspiration' you mention includes Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Schubert, Brahms, Schumann, Liszt, Chopin, Rachmaninov, Medtner and numerous other composers. I love Kapustin too, and especially Steven Osborne's recording too (it's on the Hyperion label by the way), but I couldn't discount Alkan, Busoni and Sorabji as having minimum inspiration!

[4candles]

Can I ask what you don't like about the three composers you mention here?

[Paggot]

There is a strong possibility you may be tone deaf.

[daftdisneypirates]

you seem to have prejudice against atonality. Plus this piece is not atonal. It just has rich chromaticism. And this piece of music is not random at all. Just study the sheet music or listen more carefully before you judge.

[YGYGYGYGYGYGApril10]

Awesome! You're a great jazz player. Do you perform? I want to start playing jazz since my classical sux. Also, this piano has a very rich sound. Is it a 9' concert grand? What brand? It sounds amazing.

Sorry for so many questions.

=O/

lol

Thank you.

[kpunkt]

Thank you very much for the compliments :-) Sadly I cannot make you big hope for Jazz being easier than classics. I can't play Jazz except from written music. Kapustin is great music, but it's very difficult too. Some of the Preludes op.53 are a bit easier.

[YGYGYGYGYGYGApril10]

kpunkt, I think you're probably right.

=0/

I'll try Solsa, or pop? lol

[TTakach999]

@YGYGYGYGYGYGApril10 ye id even say jazz is harder than jazz in some ways because you constantly have to be thinking so fast about what everybody else is doing and for improvising

[Racmajunior]

A version very different of Kapustin's, but this tempo is very nice !! Thanks !

[kpunkt]

I never heard Kapustin's own recording, but the metronome markings show, he wants it to be played very fast :-) I find it very difficult to bring out all the compositorial finesse of Kapustins music, when it's played that fast. Besides that, I just cannot play that fast ;-) I'm glad, you like my version anyway. I watched your video with the 4th movement and I'm really jealous :-)

[tdavis2797]

it's strange, or rather, i find it funny that this is op.39. shortly following are his etudes, which bare some likeness, in melody and harmonic structure, to the movements of this sonata. i.e, op.40 no.4 sounds so much like this. a bit of "toccatina", that is, the embellishments of fifths, can be heard in the beginning of the fourth movement and those rhythmic left hand passages in "prelude" are prevalent in the fourth aswell.

oO' nice playing as always.

[Milereba8333745]

Kapustin himself plays this at the double speed you are having :D

[Nexodaedalus]

Imagining a hotel lounge/bar as I listen... :-D

I'd say that Kapustin is for jazz pianists who can read music. Or for classical pianists who wish they could play jazz.

[Florestan1982]

Nice anology lol. All too true! (I guess if anything I'm the 2nd)

[mumps59]

Exactly. I'm definitely the latter, and that's why I love Kapustin. Still wish I could improvise...

[strider881]

very nice

[pennehk]

Bravo !!! You are great ! I love kapustin's works & I have sheetmusics. I have tried them, but too difficult for me...I look forward to watch your next videos.

[kpunkt]

Too difficult for... you??? You're joking :-)

[tdavis2797]

that was a joke right?! too difficult for you??? though i have never played any liszt, im sure it is more than a formidable feat for me to attempt, yet you play so beautifully and professionally(notably your liszt transcendental study no.10).