🇺🇦Nikolai Kapustin ： Prelude and Fugue No.20 Op.82-20

No. 20 from Kapustin’s 24 Preludes and Fugues is grounded in traditional contrapuntal writing while bringing to the piano a rhythmic vitality reminiscent of jazz and a vivid harmonic sensibility. As the music moves from the prelude to the fugue, active lines intersect and multiple voices engage with one another, sustaining tension and forward momentum throughout. In performance, the exchanges between voices should remain clear, while the intricate rhythms should not be made overly mechanical. The contrast between the prelude’s flow and the fugue’s overlapping lines brings out the finely wrought writing beneath its lightness.