Saxophone Chamber Music

Elisaveta Blumina, Peter Bruns, Christoph Enzel, clair-obscur Saxophonquartett

At first glance, it might be surprising that a pianist born in the Soviet Republic of Ukraine, who went through the classical Russian school of pianists, should compose exclusively in the idiom of jazz. But jazz was more prevalent in the Soviet Union that might be supposed. Already in the 1930s, Oleg Ludstrem began appearing with his Big Band touring in the UDSSR. Later, Nikolai Kapustin worked for many years in this orchestra as a pianist and arranger. ‘What interests me most is the fusion between classical music and jazz, and between the classical form and the jazz idiom. Here, the classical portion has more weight for me. The jazz style is merely color.’ (Nikolai Kapustin).

Kapustin:
 Duet for cello and alto saxophone, Op. 99
 Piano Quintet, Op. 89
 String Quartet, Op. 88

"The results prove wholly idiomatic...the ease with which this music has translated from strings to saxophones suggests [Kapustin] may have had half an ear on such a possibility from the outset...Given the excellence of Clair-Obscur in all aspects of their chosen repertoire, the conviction of these performances is undoubted, with Peter Bruns and Elisaveta Blumina no less responsive in their contribution."
Gramophone Magazine - July 2020