In two television reports from February 2022, three musicians named what each considered essential in Kumysbekov’s art. Their remarks do not merge into an anonymous “expert opinion”: each has a name, a profession and a measure of its own.
Zhuzbay Zhangali · the kui-poem
A kuishi is a performer and connoisseur of kui, the Kazakh instrumental piece. Zhuzbay Zhangali called Kumysbekov a professional kuishi and associated him with a work of symphonic character known as the kui-poem.
This is Zhangali’s own assessment: in it, the art of the kui met a large orchestral form.
Yermurat Usenov · national character
The composer Yermurat Usenov distinguished Kumysbekov among his contemporaries by the depth with which he had absorbed national character. He was speaking about the composer’s art as a whole, not one score or musical technique.
Zhalgasbek Begendik · four or five programmes
The conductor Zhalgasbek Begendik measured the legacy in concert repertoire. In his view, the works by Kumysbekov in the Kurmangazy Orchestra’s repertoire would be enough for four or five programmes.
In the same remark, Begendik connected the expansion of the Otyrar Sazy repertoire with works that Kumysbekov prepared for the ensemble together with Nurgisa Tlendiyev. His words brought together two orchestras and several full evenings of music by one composer.
Zhangali spoke of the kui-poem, Usenov of national character, Begendik of four or five programmes. Three professional names remain beside Kumysbekov’s music.