i went his recital last night and it's the first time i have ever seen him playing.
the program is as follows:
Berg - piano sonata op.1
Schubert - piano sonato no.18 in G major D894 op 78
Enrique Granados - valses poeticos
Isaac Albeniz - Evocacion and Triano (from Iberia)
Debussy - La serenade interrrompue; La Soiree dans Grenade
Ravel - Alborade del Gracioso (from Miroirs)
Albeniz - Tango for piano op.165/2
Moritz Moszkovski - Caprice espagnol for piano op37
(plus some encores)
i didn't like the Berg and the Schubert he played. i hate to say it, but i felt as if he was pretty much banging through those 2 pieces almost. then again, i never really like Berg's music or Schubert's sonatas, and Hough just didn't convince me to like them any better. i just didn't quite understand his interpretation especially with Schubert. his tremendous loud opening, banging all those forte passages, and horrendous contrast between loud and soft/lyrical passages made me want to get out of the hall really. there were some moments in Schubert's sonata where he played more lyrical and soft and even with some tenderness, but such moments just couldn't smooth out the overall harsh and even brutal treatment of the music. i just hate it and couldn't wait for the end of it.
but after the pretty harsh 1st half of recital, the 2nd half became indeed heaven to me. his Albeniz, Debussy and Ravel were just great, and he played Mozskowski's caprice espagnol brilliantly, shown with all those color, tone, virtuosic technique, extremely fast tempo but fantastic articulation.
so, after all he's a fantastic virtuoso on piano, and could play brilliantly all those colorful Romantic or exotic works. but he is not the type of pianists like Lupu or Aimard whose sensitivity on piano makes Hough less impressive (at least to me). i doubt i would even want to hear Hough's Beethoven or Bach or Mozart after hearing his Schubert. i guess at least he is great on something if not on everything.