Nicholai Kapustin (1937-), a Ukrainian composer whose music amalgamates the Western classical tradition with jazz idioms, is becoming increasingly acclaimed in recent years. His works are known for the physical challenge they impose upon the player due to their complexity that is often accompanied by fast tempi. No less formidable, however, is the challenge to discover the conceptual binding that is needed to capture the overarching sense of purpose within a given piece and communicate it in performance. One of the most effective approaches in performing Kapustin's music is to take advantage of the structure upon which his compositions are based, as it can allow a classically trained performer to utilize previously developed analytical skills. Although analytical study is an asset for virtually any type of music, the performance of Kapustin's music especially can benefit from analysis owing to its dense and active textures, rhythmic continuity, and varied repetition of relatively homogeneous melodic material. This research encourages regular involvement in analysis and internalizing the music away from the instrument. An analysis of Kapustin's Eight Concert Etudes, Op. 40 is provided along with the discussion of performance issues that are related to the analysis. These include solidifying the left hand (Etude No. 5), expressing characters through the varying rhythmic values of the melody and accents (Etude No. 6), and isolating various thematic components while simultaneously strengthening their inter-connections (Etudes Nos. 7 and 8). In addition, the research examines some of the psychological implications of analysis, exploring the ways in which analysis can help the performer to be attentive and engaged in the moment. Furthermore, in order to help one take pleasure from and fully benefit from analytical insights during practice, the research aims to cultivate a mindful mode of thinking where one steps away from constant action and becomes more curious and observant in the process of music-making. The conclusion addresses the physical aspect of playing, applying the notion of mindfulness to one's orientation to the instrument.

Nicholai Kapustin (1937-), a Ukrainian composer whose music amalgamates the Western classical tradition with jazz idioms, is becoming increasingly acclaimed in recent years. His works are known for the physical challenge they impose upon the player due to their complexity that is often accompanied by fast tempi. No less formidable, however, is the challenge to discover the conceptual binding that is needed to capture the overarching sense of purpose within a given piece and communicate it in performance. One of the most effective approaches in performing Kapustin's music is to take advantage of the structure upon which his compositions are based, as it can allow a classically trained performer to utilize previously developed analytical skills. Although analytical study is an asset for virtually any type of music, the performance of Kapustin's music especially can benefit from analysis owing to its dense and active textures, rhythmic continuity, and varied repetition of relatively homogeneous melodic material. This research encourages regular involvement in analysis and internalizing the music away from the instrument. An analysis of Kapustin's Eight Concert Etudes, Op. 40 is provided along with the discussion of performance issues that are related to the analysis. These include solidifying the left hand (Etude No. 5), expressing characters through the varying rhythmic values of the melody and accents (Etude No. 6), and isolating various thematic components while simultaneously strengthening their inter-connections (Etudes Nos. 7 and 8). In addition, the research examines some of the psychological implications of analysis, exploring the ways in which analysis can help the performer to be attentive and engaged in the moment. Furthermore, in order to help one take pleasure from and fully benefit from analytical insights during practice, the research aims to cultivate a mindful mode of thinking where one steps away from constant action and becomes more curious and observant in the process of music-making. The conclusion addresses the physical aspect of playing, applying the notion of mindfulness to one's orientation to the instrument.

Nikolai Kapustin was born in 1937 and has been active as a composer since the late 1950s, though he has only become relatively well known in the West since around 2000. Despite the fact that he has spent his whole life in Russia, Kapustin was strongly influenced by American jazz and his compositional style has always been a combination of the formal elements of classical music and the stylistic elements of jazz. Critics have all commented on Kapustin's astute blend of classical form and jazz style, mentioning the influence of Russian composers Rachmaninov and Scriabin, while also noting echoes of Art Tatum, Oscar Peterson, and Chick Corea. The Twenty-Four Preludes, Op. 53 were published in 1988 and follow the key sequence set forth by the Chopin Preludes, Op. 28. These preludes are as virtuosic and ambitious as those of Chopin, Scriabin, and Rachmaninov.A close examination of the score of the Twenty-Four Preludes, Op. 53 reveals that Kapustin uses several methods of thematic organization, including variations of scoring, thematic transformation, and spinning out the germ of an idea in a more improvisatory way and that these techniques can be traced directly to the music of Rachmaninov, Scriabin, Liszt, and Beethoven. There are examples of ternary, rondo, and monothematic forms, and the ternary Preludes in particular contain elements similar to sonata-allegro form. Kapustin's musical language is infused with the harmonic and rhythmic elements of jazz, with ample use of added note chords in sophisticated voicings. The echoes of various jazz artists are represented by his skilled use of pianistic techniques like stride and walking bass along with a broad range of harmonic and rhythmic devices that span the stylistic range from Swing and Novelty piano, to Bebop and contemporary Jazz-rock. Though he is clearly familiar with standard jazz harmonic devices, he uses them sparingly, preferring instead to use modulation and developmental models that are grounded in classical music practice. From modern jazz, he takes quartal, pentatonic, and diminished harmony, along with highly chromatic two-voiced textures similar to those used by jazz artists from the 1960s onward, particularly Miles Davis.

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The music of the Russian-Ukrainian composer Nikolai Kapustin is a fascinating synthesis of jazz and classical idioms. Kapustin has explored many existing traditional classical forms in conjunction with jazz. Among his works are: 20 piano sonatas, Suite in the Old Style, Op.28, preludes, etudes, variations, and six piano concerti. The most significant work in this regard is a cycle of 24 Preludes and Fugues, Op. 82, which was completed in 1997. He has also written numerous works for different instrumental ensembles and for orchestra. Well-known artists, such as Steven Osborn and Marc-Andre Hamelin have made a great contribution by recording Kapustin's music with Hyperion, one of the major recording companies. Being a brilliant pianist himself, Nikolai Kapustin has also released numerous recordings of his own music. Nikolai Kapustin was born in 1937 in Ukraine. He started his musical career as a classical pianist. In 1961 he graduated from the Moscow Conservatory, studying with the legendary pedagogue, Professor of Moscow Conservatory Alexander Goldenweiser, one of the greatest founders of the Russian piano school. During his student years (1956 -1961) Kapustin gained popularity as an actively performing jazz pianist. After graduating from the Moscow conservatory, Kapustin joined the famous Oleg Lundstrem Jazz orchestra, which by that time was considered a leading jazz ensemble of Soviet Russia. In the beginning of the 1980's Kapustin focused entirely on composition, when his original style had flourished. The jazz language of Kapustin is a kaleidoscope of styles of the greatest twentieth century jazz composers. Almost every article describing his jazz style mentions the influences of great jazz musicians: Art Tatum, Oscar Peterson, Erroll Garner, and George Gershwin. In my study I am going to take a closer look at how strong those influences are, as well as how Kapustin internalized many different jazz styles and created his own style. Kapustin's style bears qualities that belong to the Soviet jazz of 1950s and 1960s. In the second chapter detailed information will be presented about jazz tradition in Russia. This monograph concentrates on Variations, Op.41 and two Concert Etudes (# 3 and # 4) from Eight Concert Etudes, Op 40, composed in 1984. The Variations, Op.41 demonstrate the richness of Kapustin's style and his dazzling talent. These variations are based on a short Russian-Lithuanian folk theme or motive. The same motive is found in the opening of Stravinsky's "Rite of Spring." Kapustin has transformed an original meditative theme into swing.The analysis of Variation, Op.41 will be followed by the analysis of two etudes (No. 3 & 4) from Eight Concert Etudes, Op.40. The Eight Concert Etudes Op.40 are not only pieces of remarkable technical difficulty, but also pieces of unique beauty and invention with romantic flair. The influence of Russian composers can be seen, including that of Rachmaninoff, Scriabin and Prokofiev. My research on these works will provide a thorough representation of Kapustin as a composer and a pianist; the overview of Nikolai Kapustin's piano works; his contribution to the piano repertoire, and composer's unique place in music history. The monograph will also include comparison of two recordings by Nikolai Kapustin and Marc-Andre Hamelin along with pedagogical recommendations. / Music Performance

abstract: Born in 1937, the Ukrainian-Russian composer Nikolai Kapustin has gradually gained recognition among Western music scholars and pianists by blending American jazz idioms into classical forms, such as concertos, sonatas, and preludes; recently he has become a very prominent composer. As one of the most prolific composers of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, he has composed over 160 works to date. Most of them are piano solo works. The uniqueness of his compositional philosophy is that he consistently treats the music language of jazz as a core element in all his output, while others might only use jazz idioms experimentally in their works. Being an excellent pianist himself, Kapustin has recorded many of his own works, giving a firsthand reference for interpreting his piano music. Some of his most famous works, including the Variations, Op. 41, the Eight Concert Etudes, Op. 40, and the 24 Preludes in Jazz Style, Op. 53 have been recorded by other prominent artists, such as Steven Osborne and Marc-Andre Hamelin. Scholarly research on Kapustin’s piano works remains limited. Most of it is found in journal articles and dissertations. Unfortunately, all of them are focused on his early popular works. His more recent works from 2007-2013: the Six Little Pieces, Op. 133, Dialogue, Op. 148, Etude Courte mais Transcendante pour piano, Op. 149, Nobody Is Perfect, Op. 151, A Pianist In Jeopardy, Op. 152, and Wandering, Op. 153, have not yet been discussed in any scholarly writing. In brief, the purpose of this study is to present a first recording of these six major solo works, and to examine them in a research paper. The paper discusses Kapustin’s consistent use of jazz elements in his recent works, addresses musical and technical concerns in their performance practice, and facilitates more extended study of these valuable but yet to be recorded works. The paper consists of eight parts. The first part covers brief background information on the composer, as well as reviewing important jazz features, in order to more effectively analyze his stylistic language in the six compositions which are explored in the subsequent chapters including a conclusion. / Dissertation/Thesis / SIX LITTLE PIECES, OP. 133, No. 1 Allegro Moderato / SIX LITTLE PIECES, OP. 133, No. 2 Comodo / SIX LITTLE PIECES, OP. 133, No. 3 Allegretto / SIX LITTLE PIECES, OP. 133, No. 4 Larghetto / SIX LITTLE PIECES, OP. 133, No. 5 Allegro Scherzando / SIX LITTLE PIECES, OP. 133, No. 6 Allegro non troppo / DIALOGUE FOR SOLO PIANO, OP. 148 / ETUDE COURTE MAIS TRANSCENDANTE, OP. 149 / NOBODY IS PERFECT, OP. 151 / A PIANIST IN JEOPARDY, OP. 152 / WANDERING, OP. 153 / Doctoral Dissertation Music 2018

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