3 Impromptus op 66

The three short Impromptus, op. 66, were composed in 1991. The first one is by turn both declamatory and playful (in a rather threatening way) and, with frequent changes of mood and tempo, undoubtedly the freest in form. Number two, marked Allegro meccanicamente, has a highly syncopated opening section leading to Kapustin’s “big tune” – an exquisite central theme climbing from an enclosed middle voice towards an impassioned fortissimo. The third Impromptu sounds the most improvisatory, making full use of jazz fantasy in the right hand over a walking left-hand bass. One thing the three pieces have in common is that they all end very abruptly…