Nikolai Kapustin facts for kids

Mykola Kapustin (born November 22, 1937 – died July 2, 2020) was a talented Ukrainian composer and pianist. He was born in Horlivka, a city in Ukraine. He wrote many pieces, including 20 piano sonatas, six piano concertos, and other works for piano and orchestra.

Life of Mykola Kapustin

At age seven, Mykola started learning piano. His teacher was Professor Avreliana Rubbakha. Rubbakha was a student of Felix Blumenfeld, a famous piano teacher. Kapustin worked hard with Rubbakha for 11 years. He learned to play classical music by composers like Bach, Clementi, and Beethoven. He also practiced scales and arpeggios to improve his skills.

When he was 18, Kapustin went to the Moscow Conservatory. This is a very famous music school. He studied piano with Oleksandr Holʹdenveyzera. Holʹdenveyzera was 82 years old at the time. He shared many stories about famous composers. He was very impressed by Kapustin's musical talent.

For a while, Kapustin wanted to be a great classical pianist. He dreamed of playing in small, cozy places or recording in studios. But around age 20, he started to really love jazz music.

In 1957, Kapustin played at a big event. It was the VI International Festival of Youth and Students in Moscow. About 34,000 people from 131 countries were there. At this festival, Kapustin's own music was played for the first time. It was his Concertino for piano and orchestra. This was a big moment for him. He realized his unique style was mixing classical music with jazz. This included jazz improvisations, harmonies, and rhythms.

Besides studying at the Conservatory, Kapustin also played jazz. He performed with a small jazz band in fancy restaurants. Some of these performances were even played on the radio station "Voice of America."

Kapustin finished his studies at the Moscow Conservatory in 1961.

From 1961 to 1972, he worked with Oleha Lundstrema's orchestra. During this time, he showed he was a very skilled pianist. He also proved to be a great composer, writing many new pieces.

Later, from 1972 to 1977, he was the pianist for the Blue Screen Orchestra. He also played in the State Symphony Orchestra of Cinematography of Ukraine.

By the late 1970s, Kapustin changed his focus. He spent more time writing music than performing. He created many different types of works. These included pieces for orchestra and for piano alone.

His music became known around the world. This happened with help from people like Steven Osborne and Mykola Petrov. Many famous pianists, such as Marc-André Hamelin, recorded Kapustin's piano pieces. Kapustin himself also made recordings of his own works.

Kapustin attended concerts of his music in Moscow. One was on December 11, 2007. Another was on March 8, 2009, where he answered questions from his fans.

Mykola Kapustin passed away on July 2, 2020, in Moscow. He was 82 years old.

Mykola Kapustin's Compositions

Kapustin learned piano in a formal way. But he did not officially study how to write music. So, all his compositions came from his own ideas. He combined classical piano style with jazz.

Mykola Kapustin first tried writing music when he was 13. He wrote a piano sonata. He said it was in a classical style. But this piece was never published and is now lost.

In 1957, he wrote his first official work, "Concertino for piano and orchestra, Op. 1." This piece combined classical piano playing with jazz improvisation. He also mixed jazz with older classical forms. For example, his "Suite in the Old Style, Op. 28," written in 1977, sounds like a Baroque suite but with jazz elements.

In 1984, he wrote his first big work for piano, a piano sonata. This was the first time Kapustin wrote a "proper" sonata.

His "Variations, Op. 41," for solo piano, is a great example of his style. It starts with a main tune, then has many different variations. The second-to-last variation is often sad, and the ending is very powerful.

In his variations, you can hear an "orchestral" sound. It's like different instruments are playing. There are parts that sound like a bass guitar or drums. Other parts sound like wind instruments. The piano plays the main melody. His music has interesting harmonies, using many different chords. The melodies are beautiful and sometimes turn into improvisations. His pieces are often technically challenging. They have fast parts, big jumps, and syncopation (rhythms that are off the main beat).

See also

In Spanish: Nikolái Kapustin para niños