The complex syncopations require meticulous practice. The goal is to play "his crazy rhythms as accurate as possible" while maintaining the forward momentum of a jazz performance.
Unlike traditional jazz musicians, Kapustin did not improvise on stage. Instead, he meticulously composed every note, run, and chord using strict classical forms (sonatas, preludes and fugues, variations) while utilizing the vocabulary of jazz giants like Oscar Peterson, Art Tatum, and Erroll Garner. He famously stated that he was not a jazz musician, but a classical composer who happened to write in a jazz idiom. Anatomy of Variations Op. 41 kapustin variations op 41 imslp