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Has anyone heard him play live? I have two of his CDs-" My Favorite Things" and "Stephen Hough's New Piano Album." Both are devoted to encore type pieces and each includes several song transcriptions and original pieces by Hough. I think his arrangements are perhaps the most beautiful I've heard, right up there with those by Liszt, Godovsky, Wild, Rachmaninoff etc.(and many of them are far less difficult). I especially love his arrangements of Richsrd Rodger's Hello Young Lovers and My Favorite Things, Londonderry Air(much more beautiful than the famous Grainger transcription!), Kashmiri Song and Now Sleeps the Crimson Petal(by Amy Woodford-Finden), and The Fuchsia Tree(by Roger Quilter). Has anyone out there played any of these arangements? The CDs also have some incredible performances of some delicious encore type pieces I had not previously heard including Paderewski's Nocturne and Melodie in G flat, Schubert/Godovsky Moment Musical in F minor(played better than Cherkassky), Chaminade's Pierrette- Air de ballet and Gabrilovich's Melodie in E. Hough (pronounced Huff) has recently won the Macarthur (genius} award.

Sounds like a good CD, I'll keep an eye out for it. Have you heard Tatum's version of Londonderry Air ? - it's hilariously beautiful.

I heard him live at the Aspen festival several years back. Played a solo recital that included Schumann's Kreisleriana on the first half and showpieces on the second. Also played one of the Scharwenka concertos with the orchestra.

I remember thinking that the Schumann was average but good; the showy stuff was unbelieveably good! His performance of the Scharwenka was the only time in 3 years I saw the Aspen festival audience on their feet in unison before the last note. It was THAT incredible!

I haven't heard him live, but I do have his CD of Cesar Franck's Piano Music. It contains the Prelude, Chorale, and Fugue, the Prelude, Arietta, and Finale, and a few smaller works. I do like his playing though.

He is a super musician alright. I first heard him ten or so years ago playing Liszt. Wow, did he get it! At the time he got shadowed out a bit owing to Leslie Howard's fast and furious releases of the complete Liszt cycle. Haven't really followed him that much as of late.

I've known Hough since he was a student at Julliard. He studied with Adele Marcus. Even then he a maturity beyond his years. It is safe to say that he is a "pianist's pianist." People in the know anticipate his recordings and flock to the recitals he performs. He likes to play music that is a bit outside of the standard repertoire and that is part of his allure.

As an example, he's recently released a CD of English piano music that is unbelievably compelling – a must have for anyone looking for something new. His recording of the Saint Saens concerti is also pretty special as is his recording of Hummel piano concerti. His recording of the Schubert B-flat D960 is a contender for the finest performance of that work.

And you're right, his transcriptions are both stunning to listen to as well as fairly difficult. I’ve toyed with his transcription of Carousel and think I may have my life’s work ahead of me.

I think Stephen Hough’s reputation will continue to grow. I’m intrigued to hear him play things that are more “mainstream” – i.e. the Beethoven Sonatas, Chopin, Debussy…

He is certainly among the finest pianists before us today.

Does anyone know if Hough has played or is intending to play in New York City? What kind of reviews, if any, has he gotten in NYC?

Kluurs,

You state,"I’ve toyed with his transcription of Carousel and think I may have my life’s work ahead of me."

I've never come across any arrangements in print. I'd love to find some! Please let us know who the publisher is, it would be a great find to be able to play some of these.

Try this:

http://www.josef-weinberger.com/weinberger/mpubs/jwmipfrm.htm

Thanks, but I could not find "My Favorite Things" or other Broadway song transcriptions, only editions in which he was the editor. Maybe I didn't spend enough time on the web sites.

Hi,

I have the Richard Rogers Song Transcriptions which I purchased through Hutchins and Rea. It was somewhat expensive for the rather slim volume. On the other hand, the music is challenging and if the time to learn the pieces is factored in, you'll probably get a lot of mileage out of the music. This is not for the faint of heart. Mind you, Hough's music is wonderful but this is Godowsky-level technical difficulty.

On the other hand, what a piece to fling into a program!

Ken

I'd agree that the Carousel Waltz is extremely difficult , but Hello Young Lovers, Londonderry Air, The Fuchsia Tree, Now Sleeps the Crimson Petal, Kashmiri Song, etc. are much much easier and well within in the reach of non professionals.

Pianoloverus,

Right you is! Some of the other Hough transcriptions aren't quite as challenging. It's just expensive music -- and I did want to warn people that some of it is tough.

BTW, did you ever get the BB?

Ken

On the right side, scroll down and click on Hough's name. You'll get a listing that does include the transcription album.

I read an interview with Stephen Hough before I ever heard him play. I was intrigued that he was an English Catholic, that he liked to play repertoire that was “out of the box,” etc. Then I got his CD of encores including My Favorite Things and I have one of the other CD’s mentioned. Hough has become one of my favorite pianists. The difficulty of what he plays isn’t even as astounding as the way he plays it as if, and rightfully, the sonic effect, the joy of piano sound, is far more important. In my dreams I’d like to be able to play that well. I’d certainly love to hear him play in New York too.

I believe Stephen Hough is an outstanding pianist, one of the best appearing before the public today. I heard him give a couple of recitals at the Xavier University piano series in Cincinnati several years ago. His technique is flawless and his interpretations quite compelling. I love his Piano Album recordings as well as recent ones of Liszt and Brahms repertoire. I really like the 3 volumes of transcriptions and his own compositions published by Weinberger, especially, his "Valse enimatique" and "Etude de Concert". I'll admit his transcription of the "Carousel Waltz" is difficult, but quite playable with a lot practice! Also, Weinberger has published an excellent transcription by him of Franck's "Chorale No.3". They are all available in the US from Boosey & Hawkes. Now, I'll have to rush out and get his latest "English Album" CD!

Just out of interest, what is some of the stuff included on the English CD? It's because I'm doing a half-hour presentation of 'Lesser-Known British Composers' for my final year of music and am looking for some good material to put in the programme. So far, I've just got Charles-Villers Standford's 'Toccata'.

Praetorian:

Although hardly a lesser known composer, Arnold Bax wrote some delightful piano music. One of these which may be appealing to you is entitled "The Slave Girl" which the composer wrote in 1920. If you are not familiar with Bax's piano music I recommend that you listen to Erioc Parkin's Bax IV volume Bax cycle on Chandos. The Slave Girl is recorded on volume IV.

There is also a Sorabji piece entitled "In the Hothouse" dating form 1918(?). Its quite an impressionistic piece but reminiscent of late Scriabin in a contemplative mood. I am not sure whether it has been published but I am sure that if were to contact Alister Hinton, composer and curator, at the Sorabji Archive in Bath he could help you locate a copy of the manuscript. I'm sure too that he could suggest some other compostions by other composers for that matter.

Hi, folks:

I happened to notice that my local Border's has "The Piano Album" on sale for $9.99.

If anyone's on the fence about adding this to your collection, now might be a great time!

Nina

I'm coming to this thread late --I've been traveling around, so I've been, as they say, "out of pocket" as far as following things here at PianoWorld. Anyhow, I register my enthusiasm for Stephen Hough's pianism. He's definitely one of the great pianists of our time. He recently was awarded a MacArthur Foundation genius grant.
Here's a nice write up Link
and another. I've had the happy honor to meet Hough a few times, and found him as thougtful, witty, and engaging a dinner guest as can be imagined. I last saw him in a performance of the Rachmaninoff Pno Cncrto no1, a performance that gave the work a new lease on life.

Cheers, N.