Stephen Hough in recital

RECORDING OF THE MONTH - GRAMOPHONE MAY 2009
SUNDAY TIMES CLASSICAL CD OF THE WEEK

'It's hard to think of another pianist who could encompass such high seriousness - his techincal brilliance is never an alibi for superficiality in Beethoven and Mendelssohn - and high jinks within the same programme … Hough wears his virtuosity so lightly that the fantastically difficult notes seem to pour off his fingers with effortless ease. His Weber and Liszt are played with staggering bravura, his Chopin is both brilliant and wistful, and his Waltzing Matilda makes you want to laugh out loud' (Sunday Times)

'The glinting wit and thorough seriousness of pianist Stephen Hough's playing - attributes you desire from all virtuosi but do not always find - make this mixed repertoire disc a particular joy' (The Observer)

'Hough's clear-sighted path through both the Mendelssohn and Beethoven, every detail perfectly placed, belies the charm he brings to the bravura glitter of the Weber, the subtle ambiguities of Debussy's La Plus que Lente, and the more insidious allure of the Liszt. It's a beautifully accomplished sequence' (The Guardian)

"The Mendelssohn Variations come over as truly 'sérieuses', on a par with anything by his friend Schumann, thanks to Hough's vivid characterisation and dramatic flair. And if the 'Arietta' of the Beethoven Sonata does not quite reach this level, it is partly because an over-brightness in the treble lends a somewhat strenuous edge to some of the loudest passages. But Hough's control of the different stands is little short of miraculous." BBC Music