REVIEW: Kapustin Piano Concertos 2 & 6

Kapustin: Piano Concertos 2 & 6

Frank Dupree, Jenne Meinhard, Jakob Krupp, Southwest German Radio Orchestra and Swing Band

Conductor: Dominik Beykirch

C5528

The name Nikolai Kapustin may not exactly be a household name in the UK, but his work has fairly quickly become popular with piano students keen to include virtuosic jazz-inflected music in their recitals. Pianist Frank Dupree has now recorded four albums by the Ukrainian-born composer, who spent much of his composing career in Russia and this release brings together two large-scale works and a handful of shorter works. Kapustin himself came to view his Second Piano Concerto as a somewhat juvenile work. He composed it when he was around 35 years of age and had to approach the conductor of the orchestra in which he played to ask for manuscript paper, as such a commodity was hard to come by in the Soviet Union in the 70s. It is cast in three movements: the first Allegro Molto is full of energy and vigour, plunging us into a form of orchestral jazz composition that freely combines the syncopated musical style with baroque-inflected counterpoint and light orchestral lushness. The central Andante movement has a lilting Bossa-nova feel, the piano boasting a beautiful main theme while the strings may call to mind the close harmony writing of Farnon –  a movement about which no Light Music enthusiast could complain! The final Rondo-Toccata brings a high-octane finish to the work, with some fiendish writing for the piano along the way. A central C minor theme provides another memorable melodic hook, while a C major B-theme serves as a light hearted foil to the bluesy opening. The orchestra consists of woodwind, brass and strings, but is extended by the inclusion of saxophones, acoustic and bass guitars and drum kit. It is, however, a piano showpiece at heart (or perhaps piano trio showpiece), very much an opportunity for the trio concertante section to show off their skill against an orchestral backing. The Frank Dupree Trio’s playing is extraordinary, as has been demonstrated in their previous recordings of Kapustin’s works: Dupree has a lightness of touch with the instrument, coupled with a virtuosic dexterity, meaning that the performance of this concerto is at once sensitive and roof-raisingly dramatic. There are very few classical musicians who can turn effectively to a jazz style.

Those who are well versed in Light Music might be in for a surprise with this work (I certainly was). A certain Ernest Tomlinson went to Russia in 1966 as one of two composer ambassadors from the Composers' Guild of Great Britain. He conducted Symphony '65  in Moscow, probably the first real symphonic jazz piece to be performed there. Both Symphony '65 and Concerto for 5 were recorded and subsequently broadcast a number of times on European radio. Having at first suspected some level of influence of Tomlinson, with subsequent listenings I became more convinced of this. Recordings of both jazz works by ET may well have been listened to in the USSR despite the strictures imposed on anything of that kind at the time. Being a decade before Kapustin produced his second piano concerto, I would be very surprised if he had not heard ET’s work, knowingly or not. The final movement is just too similar to the final Rondo in Rhythm of the Concerto for Five to be a coincidence, though this in no way to suggest there was any plagiarism. So if you are intrigued, dear reader, please give the second piano concerto a listen and let me know what you think! (It certainly raised eyebrows when I played it in the LMS office!). None of this is to say Kapustin’s piece isn’t enjoyable, of course, and I’m positive that it will prove to be a crowd pleaser in many a concert hall, as a quick glance online will reveal it already to be. 

The sixth piano concerto is a far more individual piece, revealing a composer who has grown more and more into an individual style. This is not so much a work referencing classic jazz, such as the clear Gershwin references in the second concerto and the Op. 8 Toccata, as it is indebted to funk and rock music. In some ways it is a slightly tougher nut to crack for the listener: a more complex work, both thematically and harmonically reflecting the development of jazz music through the 20th century. The central Larghetto movement is a real highlight here: it is Kapustin at his most beautiful, but also paradoxically his darkest, beginning with no real sense of tonal centre, before relaxing into a gently flowing movement celebrating the deepest ranges of the orchestra and trio. Jakob Krupp on bass has many opportunities to shine on this album, but his sensitivity here is really outstanding. This is an undeniably sophisticated work that repays repeated listenings to truly appreciate the richness on display. It is virtuosic for sure, but arguably not as overtly “showy” with its approach and shows a mature composer with a keenly honed sense of stylish development in this piece.