REVIEWS “MY DESTINY’S JOURNEY’S“
The first beat of the CD ” My Destiny`s Yourney’ points to the fact that what we have here is a musical connoisseur who is familiar with the delicate secrets of music art, a man who is on the first-name basis with harmony, tone syllable, figured bass, music form, and music gains—from Bach to Gershwin and Ravel. They point to a personality with classical music as an immanent vocation, but jazz and all its variations as secondary. My dear friends, I am talking about Miroslav Cupara.
Pianist and master of chamber music (professor Olivera Djurdjevic), Cupara has been searching for his parh for years. Corepetition in `Lujo Davico` ballet school was only support for survival and acquiring the status of a pedagogue. Everything was within the world of searching because jazz has never left Miroslav Cupara alone, and Cupara has always found a way to express his improvisation skills in jazz. He has always done it in an original way, which has never strayed into `fusion`, but he has always relied on classical and jazz giants.
This CD in front of you carries interesting messages: here, Cupara represents himself as a composer, pianist, and arranger. Stil Cupara never deviates from his basic idea – that music is primarily a tune, an essential string to follow – and everything comes after `that`. This is how 9 numbers of different titles, durations, and messages were made. Maybe the last one – “Yes, I am happy`- only two minutes long, is his basic musical message.
The disc was made lectronically, with abundance of sampled sounds, with the use of synthesizer and other aggregate devices, but with basic idea to make beautiful what he presents to his listeners. And the author succeeded in this.
Despite being a pianist by his primary vocation, Cupara does not exaggerate in using the piano on this disc; he does it discreetly, functionally and artistically expressively. His piano passages remind me of Chopin, Ravel, Debussy, and Gershwin, but most of all, they remind me of Cupara!
To support this, Cupara uses sampled sounds of familiar orchestra instruments where one can notice that the sound of the cello is his `great love.` The flute, and he uses these instruments in a highly qualified and functional manner as the support to the piano which Cupara himself plays.
Through nine numbers presented, Miroslav Cupara often uses the string corpus of a symphony orchestra and the sound of the classical organ, which he often keeps deep in a recording – but the sound is there. That is a good arranging procedure, and it leaves a highly professional impression.
Miroslav Cupara, the irredeemable romantic, would not be what he is if he did not call upon authorities in presenting his music: in number 6 – `Lili`s smile` he makes a magnificent homage to the great jazz violinist Stephane Grappelli, in number 4 – `Two of us` – he takes us to South America in bossa nova rhythm, to the world of unseen rhythms and games; in many numbers, witch his piano passages, Cupara reminds of Errol Garner, of Oscar Peterson, of Art Tatum, but there is one thing that he precedes them al in melodiousness!
Because melodious beauty opens the world and establishes communication among people, Cupara is aware of this. So, with all respect to harmonious arabesques and sampled sounds of the orchestra and its instruments, Cupara stays romantic and puts a beautiful, nurtured, and polished melody into the focus.
What is the utility of this disk? It is multiple: one can with pleasure listen to this CD in their car during a long ride; this CD is a joy in the house—you listen to neutral music, you do not know its origin, and it is beautiful and susceptible; this CD can be functional both in cafes and jazz clubs, it can be very actual in radio programs, and it is interesting as background for classical and modern ballet.
A great contribution to this project was given by sound engineer Branko Isakovic, and the author of this text would find it very interesting if all of these arranging ideas expressed on the discwere poured into a real symphony sound. Then, this currently elecronic work would get well-deserved third sound dimension…This extraordinary multi-discipline artist, Miroslav Cupara, has deserved it for a long time.
Professor Nikola Rackov
Miroslav Cupara belongs to a rare breed of pianists who strive to expand the limits of classical pianism, which he has demonstrated through his cooperation with Goran Bregovic. On his authorial CD, Cupara demonstrates a crossover genre of classical music, jazz, Latino, and ambient improvisation.
The listeners can all find their chosen number and particularly pay attention to `A Beautiful Smiljka`s Day` and ` A Letter for DR. Kreso`. The unburdened and fresh approach to music, the composer`s originality, creative use of genres, and, of course, ruling the instrument in the best sense make this authorial CD unusual and welcome in this region.
Prof dr Smiljka Iskakovic
REVIEWS OF CD’S: ‘PIECES OF A DREAM’ (G.GERSHWIN) AND ’FROM BACH TO BREGOVIC’
Miroslav Cupara is certainly a completely exceptional jazz pianist. In this country there have been very few pianists who have got to know so many works of world music literature so thoroughly, both through their education and by playing them. He has managed to merge this knowledge with his prime interest in jazz in a very original way. What I find personally fascinating, as a pianist as well as a professor, is his sense of tone, beautiful piano tone, which is extremely rare in jazz pianists whose performance is based on rhythm, non legato technique in which piano tone and nuances don’t matter at all. This is what makes him different from all the others. He is inspired by Bach, Chopin, Debussy, Bregovic, H. Hanckock, C. Porter… but in a completely unusual way. He sometimes improvises on a given music theme, and sometimes he doesn’t, using the collage or mosaic technique in composing. Having played a part of a Bach fugue, a Debussy’s prelude or a mazurka by Chopin, he goes over to jazz, which contains not only improvisation, but a composition whole, where you will be able to discern some elements of the composition which inspired him. Pay particular attention to his beautiful piano tone, phrasing and nuances. They are something you definitely won’t hear in the performance of any other pianist, from this country or any other in the world.
Zika Jovanovic, professor, M.A.
I have dedicated all the compositions from this album to Goran Bregovic, the music idol of my early childhood. Various styles and genres, often fused into one compositional form, are largely permeated by, and composed under the influence of, the way of thinking and compositional techniques that Bregovic has been applying for so long with such great success. His talent, musicality, guitar phrasing, rhythmic agogica went over the borders of ex-YU region long ago and conquered the hearts of countless music lovers with different tastes all over the world. Of the numerous influences of different composers such as Bach, Chopin. Debussy, Hancock, Peterson, Evans, the influence of Bregovic is evident in my performance and composition. It flows through a large number of compositions on this album, as a style, a way of phrasing and a leitmotif.
Anyway, Brega has marked a period in the music history and left a myriad of brilliant compositions that will outlive both him and us.
Cupara Miroslav, prof. spec.
Clear compositional forms, technical precision, sense of improvisation, and soft and warm tone is what characterizes this music material. I am happy to be able to recommend this undoubtedly authentic CD by Miroslav Cupara.
Rade Radivojevic, composer
Some musicians really love their job and there are others who do their job conscientiously, professionally and who only occasionally feel a light excitement as a pigeon before mating. Miroslav Cupara belongs to the first group, the group of true musicians who love what they create as well as what they paraphrase or merely listen to – music is simply a bare necessity of life like the oxygen, water or love without which life is not worth living.
Miroslav Cupara is a seeker. He roams free in the music universe hunting for ideas. He adores Bach, but he also loves Bregovic, not because his name begins with a “B” but because according to Miroslav Cupara his romantic sensibility matches Chopin’s. To him, Debussy is actually a great “‘eccentric”, an impressionist, a non-conformist -in a word the first one with original ideas which are to be respected and inspired by.
The spaces Miroslav visits with his muses are far, wide and green-evergreen if you wish. Old melodies like “It’s only pepper moon”, “Candy”, “Body and Soul” and many others already recorded in the catalogue of eternal memory have acquired a new glory enwrapped in his style. Miroslav Cupara is a hard-working bee, playing music and making honey in his own way, swiftly, humorously and imaginatively. I wish him good luck with his CD.
Prof. FMU, composer
Konstantin Babic
Genuine enthusiasm and professional competence together with a truly artistic feeling for historical styles of popular music and jazz are features witch make the young Belgrade pianist Miroslav Cupara excel in the visions of George Gershwin`s greatest hits.
Vlastimir Trajkovic
Composer.Chief of the Composition and Orhestration
Department of the Belgrade`s Faculty of Music
In front of you there is an interesting CD with 12 jazz variations for piano of well known George Gershwin`s melodies with is the author of CD a young pianist Miroslav Cupara, named Pieces of a Dream. Miroslav has an excellent technique and a sense for improvisiation, witch enables him to indulge freely in his imagination and and to turn his “musical dream” into reality, a brilliant jazz rhapsody.
His idols are the best jazz pianist in the world such as Art Tatum and Oscar Peterson, although, considering the so-called “straight”style, he reminds me most of Erroll Garner.
I highly recommend this CD to all the admires of jazz as well as to the pianists of classical music who can reveal the secrets and beauties of jazz.
Vojislav Simic
Condactor
Proposer
Nikola Rackov, MA
Professor at the Faculty of Music
25 Milosa Pocerca
Belgrade
Subject: Pianist Miroslav Cupara – proposal for the award for the best concert in the season 2015
A Portrait of the Artist
Miroslav Cupara, a pianist, master in chamber music at the Faculty of Music (professor Olivera Djurdjevic), known as the artist who combines genres in a refined way and who presents music „from Bach to Bregovic“. Over the course of his career, he has had numerous solistic concerts in elite concert spaces ( Kolarac, City Assembly, Russian home, Ethnographic Museum, Kolarac Musical Galery…).
He has toured many Yugoslav cities, performed in famous jazz clubs, cooperated with our leading jazz star Nada Pavlovic for years.
In discography, Cupara has left two impressive traces so far: „Pieces of dream“ (Gershwin’s music) and CD “From Bach to Bregovic“. As a longtime accompanist in the balet school “Lujo Davico“, Cupara wrote an autobiographical book- “Balet and I – in several images“ with an accompanying CD. Also, as a composer, he has done many balets and numerous applied music pieces for the needs of the theatre. Cupara has been a member of UMUS (Association of Musical Artists of Serbia) and the Composers of Serbia Association for years.
Proposal for the best concert of the season
On 6 July last year, in the cycle of UMUS concerts, Cupara performed in the hall of the Musical School „Stankovic“. He approached that programme with a great deal of thought and, with outstanding guests, he made effort to present his multigenre skills in the best way. His guests were: mezzo-soprano Tanja Obrenovic, violinist Dusica Blazenovic, Danijel Alivojvodic, the contrabass and Dusan Jankovic, the percussions. In the first part of the programme, Cupara performed in cooperation with a young violinist – very successfully and, in terms of programme, attractively.
In the second part of the concert – he performed as a solo pianist with extraordinary performing bravuras, combinig classical music and jazz, using very modern harmonious consonance, demonstrating all the knowledge he had got from the Faculty of Music. There were moments where his performance reminded of our unique giant-pianist Vladimir Vitas, and that is a great compliment for our pianist art.
In the third part of the recital, Cupara performed in cooperation with the contrabass and the percussions and the vocal of Tanja Obrenovic. That part of the programme really „raised the temperature“ in the full grandstand and led to ovations and bestowed additional performance.
Instead of conclusion
Miroslav Cupara is a unique phenomenon in our musical life. A highly educated musician from our most prestigious musical institution, has been going on the line between classical music and jazz from his earliest days. With his maturing, his art shows synthesis of these two directions and artistic symbiosis which produced a CD-„From Bach to Bregovic“. Everything said here, the artist showed very successfully in his recital on 6 June, presenting himself as the only Serbian pianist who, in concerts, deals with combining musical directions. He does this in a very sentient way, refinedly, with measure and the sense of balance, so it is a true pleasure to listen, in his concerts, his musical arabesques and bravuras of his colleagues.
BASED ON ALL I HAVE SAID, WITH EXQUISITE PLEASURE I PROPOSE TO THIS COMMITTEE MIROSLAV CUPARA AND HIS CONCERT FROM 6 JUNE FOR THE AWARD FOR THE BEST CONCERT IN SEASON 2015.
Belgrade,24 February,2016
Professor NIKOLA RACKOV