Nikolai Kapustin - Sonata Op.70 for Violin and Piano

Recorded in Utrecht in November 2021 by Damian Bosch.
/ damianbosch_music
Artwork drawn by Sanne de Jong.
Performed by Violinist Sarah Lynn Huizing and Pianist Xander Benham.
About the work:
Kapustin’s music is intricate and virtuosic, filled with flourishing jazz harmonies under rigidly structured classical form. His piano music is technically demanding. He possesses an unmatched technique as can be seen from a few existing online videos of him performing his pieces with astonishing musical accomplishment and interpretation.
At first, he started writing for the instruments in big band settings and then for classical instruments. His first piece for a symphonic classical instrument was a cello sonata in 1991 composed during his 50s. Kapustin maintained his unique style in this sonata, combining jazz elements in classical form.
He stated:
"I have very few jazz compositions that are really jazz. There is no need to
improvise with my music, although it is jazz. But you can make improvisation
only by creation; you cannot make an improvisation of a sonata. But all my
improvisation is written, of course, and they became much better; it improved them."
The first movement is in strict sonata form with the plan of exposition,
development, recapitulation, and coda.
The second movement of Kapustin’s Violin Sonata sounds like a jazz ballad. The form of this piece could be described as a theme-and-variation form overlaid with the return idea from the ternary form but the author would suggest it is closer to a performance order of a jazz piece.
Your Pianist and Composer,
Xander Benham.

[@composergarylloydnoland]

Listening right now. Very nice performance!

[@bevbenham678]

Perfect

[@DucoBurgers]

Great performance, congratulations!

[@musiclassic1]

Very nice performance!