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'Stephen Hough and the Takács Quartet push the music about as far as it can go … One senses from the start that [Hough] is really fired up and the Takács follow him every inch of the way with playing of beguiling tonal sophistication and thrilling intensity … This is an exceptional account of a truly exceptional masterwork ' (International Record Review) |
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'[Man of Sorrows} Brilliantly written for the keyboard and scintillatingly orchestrated … The piece is superly played and recorded, patently sincere and easily assimilable' (BBC Music Magazine)
'Bewitching, otherworldly and playful music … If ever a composer wanted to share a sheer joy in sound, it's Tsontakis … The Dallas Symphony Orchestra plays like a dream and Stephen Hough brings an Apollonian sense of beauty and control to the proceedings' (Metro)
'A five-star performance and recording' (Gramophone) |
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'I cannot imagine many piano lovers failing to fall for this delectable and all-too-brief collection of impressions, portraits and postcards. If you are not drawn to the imaginative programme of the familiar, the brand new and the entirely unknown, then the elegant, eloquent playing of this master pianist will surely seduce you ... We are treated to some of the loveliest pianissimos and and delicate shadings you'll hear, familiar from Hough's earlier Piano Albums and similar in his complete empathy with this kind of repertoire...Hough's own On Falla has an authentic ring that should provide him with a blistering encore for years to come...The piano sound (Andrew Keener and Simon Eadon) is as you would expect from Hyperion's dream team' (Gramophone)
'Hough again has a more intimate stance than many pianists, quietly brilliant in the cross-cutting between musical ideas. Everything is wonderfully fresh and nothing is laboured - it's a superb and surprising recital' (BBC Music Magazine)
'A ravishing display of light-fingered, insouciant virtuosity'
(Classic FM Magazine)
'The sparkle and sensitivity of Stephen Hough's playing is lavished on a typically imaginative cross-section of music inspired by Spain...The perfect Christmas present' (The Times) |
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'there is no doubting the sweep and passion,
or the tenderness and intimacy, of their performance. These
two outstanding musicians give an equally fine account of
the earlier E minor sonata. In both works, and in some pleasing
miniatures by Dvorak and Suk, they interact with the combined
sensitivity and freedom of true chamber-music players'
(The Sunday Times)
'[Isserlis's] current recording
with Hough displaces all others: at last two musicians have
taken this work and delivered a spontaneous stream of musical
dialectic that makes perfect sense' (BBC Music Magazine)
'an evocative performance by Isserlis and his
partner Stephen Hough, which marries effusive warmth and inward
eloquence' (Evening Standard)
'deeply considered, immensely satisfying
accounts. Isserlis and Hough make a formidable team and I
look forward to more duo sonatas'
(Gramophone) |
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'Even were Hough's technique less secure and
Hyperion's engineering less realistic, this would be a major
addition to the catalogue. As it stands, this recording of
the first book of Années is the top choice.' (International
Record Review)
'Stephen Hough handles this
more intimate side of Liszt admirably, with playing of great
expressive warmth … As a bonus, Hough throws in Liszt's
three operatic paraphrases from Gounod, playing the fine reverie
after Romeo and Juliet quite beautifully, and tossing off
the virtuoso transcription of the waltz from Faust with appropriate
panache.'
(BBC Music Magazine)
'To play Liszt easily, you need at least three
hands, but Hough, so brilliant in his recent Rachmaninov set,
gets by magnificently with two … A valuable and highly
enjoyable disc.' (The Times)
'Stephen Hough has once
again excelled himself … The impression conveyed throughout
the main work is one of immense musicianship and subtlety,
in which the pianist shapes every phrase to make its point,
allowing distillations of shade and nuance, a performance
in which the composer is allowed to speak on his own terms
without any intervening eccentricities or rhetorical extravagances.'
(International Piano) |
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A sample collection containing one track from
each of Stephen's solo albums for Hyperion. The perfect compliation
for the person trying to decide which album to purchase. Also
included are two bonus tracks never before released. Booklet
notes include comments on each track by Stephen.
'In all, a cogent overview of and ideal introduction to Stephen Hough's artistry' (Classics Today USA)
'As a retrospective of a fine pianist, this bargain issue has many virtues … If you have not already added these Hough performances in your collection, here is a painless way of doing so' (American Record Guide) |
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'This is fin-de-siècle
musical romance moulded with perception, and Hough himself
is on magnificent form. His handling of the quieter melodies
displays a subtle touch that takes in a wealth of meaningful
counterpoint, whereas the finale of the Third Concerto is
given one of the most hair-raising accounts of modern times.
Exceptional performances are also given … of the Fourth
Concerto where, in the central Largo, Hough plumbs depths
of feeling that not even the great Michelangeli visited…Hough’s
set takes the palm as the pre-eminent digital edition of the
Rachmaninov piano concertos.' (5 Stars, The Independent,
11 October 2004)
'These are exhilarating
performances, freshly conceived and texturally pristine…With
such committed advocacy and technical bravura, Hough’s
interpretations demand to be heard.' (Classical
CD of the Week,
4 Stars (out of 4), The Sunday Times, October 2004)
Read more
reviews... |
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'These seem to me outstanding performances.
The pianist and conductor Charles Halle said that Chopin's
own playing was remarkable for its freedom of rhythm, yet
sounded entirely natural. That is the ideal, but to play Chopin
with the rhythmic subtlety he requires without seeming contrived
is a rare gift. Stephen Hough has it in abundance. Listen
to how he shapes the opening theme of Ballade No 1: tentative,
hesitant, then gradually gaining momentum. Hough is equally
at home with the sparkle of the fourth scherzo and the ferocity
of the first. He also commands like a master the almost orchestral
range of colour these works demand.' (David Cairns, The Sunday Times)
'Here is music that is heard across the world
everyday, given a totally fresh approach - and a gloriously
successful one at that.'
(James Jolly, Gramophone)
'This is astonishing piano playing and Chopin
interpretation that, at its best, fully measures up to the
greatness of these pieces.'
(Stephen Plaistow, Gramophone)
'Hough is unfailingly thoughtful; there's not
a note that hasn't been cared for.' (Stephen Plaistow, Gramophone)
'[Ballade No 2]...Hough perceives the invasion
of one kind of music by another in all its subtlety and lays
out a spellbinding seven-minute drama. This is one of the
best accounts I can remember hearing.' (Stephen Plaistow, Gramophone)
'[Scherzos] Where many a player is content to
let recurring sections and paragraphs register simply as the
music we heard before, with him they sound different in some
degree, affected by what has come in between.'
(Stephen Plaistow, Gramophone)
'...this is an issue out of the ordinary...'
(Stephen Plaistow, Gramophone) |
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'Stephen
Hough turns his attention to the three most compelling of
Hummel’s five mature solo piano sonatas. The F sharp
minor, Op 81, and D major, Op 106, from 1819 and 1824, are
large-scale works, revelling in an early-Romantic virtuosity
that was to attract both Chopin and Liszt. The four-movement
Op 106 is a huge creation of dramatic rhetorical gestures,
while the much earlier F minor sonata, Op 20 (1807), gives
a taste of the youthful Hummel’s exuberantly Haydnesque
style. Hough proves a dazzling advocate for all three works.'
(The Sunday Times) |
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Stephen Hough joins cellist Steven Isserlis
(www.stevenisserlis.com)
in performances of Sergei Rachmaninov's Sonata for cello and
piano in G minor Op 19 and César Franck's Sonata for
cello and piano in A major M8. |
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'Another winner from the ever-imaginative
Stephen Hough. In all these pieces Hough's magic is presented
in full, clear Hyperion sound' (Gramophone)
'Powerful, sympathetic and beautifully
recorded, and his fans everywhere will be thrilled' (BBC
Music Magazine)
'Hough's performances are magical – scintillating,
refined, sensuous in the smaller works, commanding and powerful
in Rawsthorne and Leighton. I hope this superb pianist records
many more recitals of British music' (American Record
Guide) |
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'It is unalloyed pleasure to sit through
all five at a sitting ... the quite outstanding pianism of
Stephen Hough makes this an unmissable addition to anyone
remotely interested in the barnstorming, physically exhilarating
concertos of the late nineteenth century' (International
Record Review)
'Marvellous performances, full of joy, vigour
and sparkle. The recording is in the demonstration bracket
and this Hyperion set includes no fewer than four encores.
An easy first choice' (Penguin Guide to Compact Discs)
'A delightful set that does this underrated
composer full credit' (Classic FM Magazine)
Read more reviews... |
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'Hough casts a scattered, multicoloured light
as if through stained glass ... One could write a complete
analytical essay on Hough’s breathtakingly illuminating
playing of the Second Ballade, but no words could convey the
beauty he brings to the Fourth' (Pianist Magazine)
'His accounts are just plain wonderful ... With
music as beautiful and pianism as great as this – all
in excellent sound – you can’t go wrong' (American
Record Guide)
'Beauty and meticulousness of Stephen Hough’s
playing ... playing of great warmth and intimacy' (BBC
Music Magazine)
Read more reviews...
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'At last, Hough tackles Liszt’s Sonata
on record and the result is as musicianly as this fine pianist’s
admirers might expect' (Gramophone)
'This is a superlative recording, one that defies
criticism. Hough’s pianism is evocative, spiritual,
and technically and tonally scrupulous. What better compliment
could be given than to say that this is the way one imagines
these pieces might have sounded when Liszt himself played
them? Recorded sound is ideal, and an excellent, detailed
booklet adds to the value of this outstanding release' (American
Record Guide)
'Hough transforms the rumbling, chromatic bass
line [Ballade No 2] into an almost terrifyingly atmospheric
setting' (BBC Music Magazine)
Read more reviews... |
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'This is a terrific disc. A master pianist
reminds us that the piano can delight, surprise and enchant'
(Classic CD)
'Like any first-class dessert-tray, this one
is addictive.' (International Piano Quarterly)
'Few recording pianists can match Stephen Hough
in the flair with which he tackles trivial party pieces like
the 20 varied items here. He gives such encore material sparkle
and point that charms the ear' (The Guardian)
'Encore!' (BBC Music Magazine)
Read more
reviews... |
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'This is, quite simply, some of the most beautiful
Schubert I have heard in years, or (why not come out and say
it?) ever. Irresistible. That is, indeed, the word for everything
about this superb release' (Fanfare)
'Poetic, imaginative, deeply felt and keenly
thought ... a deeply loving treatment of the piano in performances
of exceptional refinement' (The Piano)
'Any pianist who records Schubert must be sure
of his ground. Stephen Hough here proves himself a worthy
rival' (The Sunday Times) |
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'Startling virtuosity and probing musicality.
I have never heard Copland's Variations played with such variety
of tone and pinpoint articulation, nor the Corigliano rendered
with such plasticity of tempo and mood' (Piano &
Keyboard)
'Scintillating performances and vivid
sonics from Hyperion. Even the notes, by Hough himself, are
superlative' (American Record Guide)
'This disc is a remarkable combination
of artistic vision, stunning performance technique, and curatorial
intelligence. Stephen Hough seems to have it all - blazing
technique, real artistic vision, an adventurous curiosity,
and a deft style as an annotator. A great piano album and
a loving testament to the strength of a strain of American
music that is expressive and humanistic while remaining open
to the challenges of its time' (Fanfare)
Read
more reviews...
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'The soft, stylish arpeggios that open the first
work on the disc announce immediately that something special
is on the way. Hough is now clearly first recommendation in
the concertos' (Gramophone)
'You can tell this is special from the first
chord ... I don't think [Stephen Hough] has an equal on record
in this music, even with competitors like Andras Schiff and
Murray Perahia. Issues like this add to the feeling that the
great Mendelssohn reappraisal is underway at last. It's long
overdue' (The Independent)
'Once again we have Stephen Hough lavishing
his exciting gifts upon a splendid Mendelssohn programme.
I cannot envisage this splendidly recorded disc being absent
from the year's honours list' (Classic CD) |
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'Stephen Hough is a perfect advocate and having
the works recorded under the composer’s seemingly ideal
direction is wonderful'
(www.musicweb.com)
'Another winner. Fascinating, bold and fresh;
a visit to the past without the smell of the museum. One of
the most oddly attractive issues of the year so far' (The
Independent on Sunday)
'If you like big tunes and lush neo-romanticism,
opulently scored, you will love it' (Yorkshire Post)
'There is much to enjoy in these two brash
and captivating works' (Gramophone) |
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'In the hands of an imaginative pianist like
Stephen Hough this other-worldly, almost eremitic [music]
becomes revelatory. He catches Mompou's wistful moods to perfection'
(Gramophone)
'It's a rare thing for an artist's programme
notes to vie in quality with his playing. There is simply
no better description of this music, nor any more persuasive,
imaginative and spiritually attuned performer of it. Fascinating,
hypnotic, mystical. Commended' (BBC Music Magazine)
'In his skilfully planned and superlatively
played programme Stephen Hough achieves a vivid sense of contrast,
of temporal and spiritual reflection. His rare empathy for
such music is reflected in Hyperion's cloudless recording'
(BBC Record Review)
'Pianism of a very high order indeed,
backed up by a recording of beautiful limpidity. Spellbinding
music, immaculately performed' (Classic CD) |
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'Only the most exalted comparisons will
do for Stephen Hough's latest disc, and even they are struggling
to compete. Hough has a dream-ticket combination of virtues
- astonshing agility, a faultless ear for texture, fine-tuned
stylistic sensibility and an exceptional understanding of
harmonic and structural tensions. [His] recent Hyperion issues
have given him a lot to live up to. This recital triumphantly
does that' (Gramophone)
'Superb performances ... Style, elegance,
and a power that is awe-inspiring when unleashed. César
Franck has never been better served' (Classic CD)
'A superb production!' (Fanfare, USA)
'Wonderfully played ... marvellous sound.
This is a first-rate issue in every respect' (Gramophone
'Soundings')
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'This disc came as quite a revelation ... This
eloquent new collection suggests that a radical reappraisal
of Bowen's compositional achievement is long overdue ... It
is well-nigh impossible to imagine a more sensitive or imperious
advocate for Bowen's art than Stephen Hough who responds with
his customary effortless technical mastery, rapt affection
and intrepid panache' (Gramophone)
'Few new discs of piano music match this for
sheer magic: magnetic performances that come as a revelation.
Vivid piano sound' (The Penguin Guide to Compact Discs)
'Buried English gold unearthed by a brilliant
treasure hunter' (Classic CD) |
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Robert White, tenor
Stephen Hough, piano
'If these ardent renderings ... do not
find a place in your heart then you should wonder what your
heart's made of. RECORD OF THE MONTH' (Classic FM
Magazine)
'Hyperion are to be congratulated on
their courage in issuing this charming collection of songs
which might be classified as an endangered species. Warmly
recommended' (British Music Society Journal)
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'Virtuosity as impish as it is magisterial ...
[he] wings his way through every good-humoured page with a
poetic and technical zest that takes us back to the great
pianists of the past; to a golden age of piano playing' (BBC)
'The pianism of Hough leaves one breathless.
His technique is fabulous, and tasteful phrasing wonderfully
sensitive to the needs of the period ... Musts for fans of
19th-century virtuosity' (In Tune)
'Stephen Hough’s punchy, glittering account
[of the Scharwenka] is electrifying, his precision and rhythmic
élan, especially in the terrifying finale, is beyond
praise' (International Record Review)
'This Gramophone Award-winning disc thrills
from start to finish. Anyone who has yet to catch up with
this remarkable disc should do so without delay' (Piano
International)
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BIS has released a recording of Stephen playing Mozart and Beethoven Quintets with the Berlin Philharmonic Wind Quintet. The Mozart was issued previously (and was praised by the American Record Guide as ‘The best recording of Mozart's Quintet I have ever heard.’); the Beethoven Quintet is released here for the first time.
Click here for album details and notes
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'In Stephen Hough's virtuosic hands, the
coruscating final coda of the A minor Concerto is one of the
most exciting things I've heard for years. Bravo'
(Gramophone) |
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Stephen Hough, Piano I
Ronan O'Hora, Piano II |
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Stephen Hough, Piano
Michael Collins, Clarinet
Steven Isserlis, Cello |
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'The finest Liszt collection available, featuring
some of his most celebrated works in staggering performances.'
(BBC Music Magazine, June 2005) |
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'Hough's effortless technique and innate musicianship
make every moment memorable.' (The Independent)
Read more reviews... |
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Copyright © 2004
Stephen Hough, All Rights Reserved. |
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