So a few days ago I heard Stephen Hough play in Stockholm - a really good performance of four "strange" (I guess in the meaning "unusual") sonatas.

He began with Beethoven Moonlight. First movement was unusually fast and with some strange rubatos - almost provocative. I didn't quite connect with it. But it picked up in the other movements, in particular the ferocity of the last was stunning. The feeling of a caged animal close to panic was very strong.

He followed that with a sonata of his own (takes some nerve!), "broken branches". It is very suggestive and did not sound too hard. I liked it a lot, and intend to buy the sheet music. Interestingly he had the sheet music on the stand and turned the pages during performance, perhaps to avoid giving the impression of an improvisation? Surely he must know his own work.

He followed that with Scriabin no 5 and then after the break Liszt B-minor. Both were fantastic and extremely well kept together, no mean feat. Towards the end he may have got a bit tired, at the final outburst with the many difficult jumps he missed some, but somehow that didn't seem to matter much. He got a standing ovation and there were 3 encores.

Apparently he is touring now with this programme. If he comes near you I can recommend it.

I plan on attending his performance here in Miami on Sunday.
I know it's Beethoven, Scriabin, and Liszt. I assume it will be the same program.
I'm looking forward to it.


1) Why do you say "takes some nerve"?
2) I may be remembering incorrectly, but I believe on his blog a few months back he commented on using the sheet music while performing his own work - basically for the exact reason you're suggesting, "to avoid people thinking it's an improvisation."

-Daniel

Let me know what you think!



Well, if you put your own work between Beethoven and Scriabin you cannot be very modest. But as I said I liked it and think it holds up nicely.

I don't follow his blog. It sure had the effect of not seeming an improvisation, with him turning the pages constantly, but it also was mildly distracting and made me wonder why he did that.

I saw Stephen Hough some years back. Don't recall the entire programme (he closed with the Carnival), but I do remember him playing the Six Studies by Kenneth Leighton. He did use the score, and I assumed it was because he may not have trusted his memory in such complex music. Maybe he had only recently learned the piece?

"Modest" or not, I wish we saw it more often.
In the recent thread on old concert programs from the University of Michigan archives, it was interesting to compare programs by Prokofiev (comprising of his own works by majority) and Rachmaninoff (comprising mostly of works by others.)

Here is Hough's entry from June 2011 I was referring to. He closes, "This coming Saturday I will give the world premiere of my Sonata for Piano (broken branches) at the Wigmore Hall and I'm going to use the score. Well, I wouldn't want people to think I was improvising, would I!"

-Daniel

I saw him in July last year playing a similar programme in Leicester, UK. He played Scriabin no. 4 in addition to 5, and he did so at a number of other events in 2011.

Looking at his 2012 schedule he appears to have dropped this piece.

2011 season

2012 season

I really am hoping he makes his way here again sometime in the not too distant future. Last he was round it was with the Brahms dminor and it was brilliant. Wonderful pianist and quite an intelligent man who is very kind and fun to talk to.

Where is "here" stores?

Do you really think he's going to reveal that ???

Wasn't aware it was a secret.

I saw him play that same recital in Melbourne last year. I agree with your comments. I didn't connect with the tempo in the Moonlight first movement either. But other than that it was a VERY strong recital. Great pianist.

I've got tickets for Rach 3 in June!

To the best of my knowledge it has not been revealed here thus far.

I have not heard him perform his Broken Branches sonata live but I have the CD. It is very lovley indeed and is not very virtuosic, technically anyway. His compositions on that CD include, peculiarly, a sonatina for piccolo which I enjoyed tremendously. A gorgeous sounding piccolo though I can't recall the name of the performer now. The piece de resistance for me was a piece for cello and orchestra (The Loneliest Wilderness) played by Steven Isserlis. He makes it sound magnificent.
Hough is ridiculously talented. He also includes his set of 5 songs (Herbstlieder, to gorgeous text by Rainer Maria Rilke )and a trio for bassoon, piccolo and piano . Awe-inspiring compositions altogether but probably the tip of the iceberg. I expect his music will sound even richer over time and especially if he were to slow down concertizing and give more time and mental space to his composition work.

PS I commented previously on Hough's recital at Carnegie Hall last year. I absolutley loved his Janacek (1905) then and the 2 Scriabin sonatas (4 and 5). Moonlight was ok but the Liszt was virtuosic and idiosyncratic. Did not love it. ( Kissin and Garrick Ohlsson's versions also performed this season were much closer to how I hear this music in my head).

He returns here in 2013 with a premiere of his second piano sonata (Notturno Luminoso) written in memoriam of Benjamin Britten. This time his sonata sits between Brahms' third sonata and Schumann's Carnaval.

In August-September this year, he's playing Saint-Saens' 5th here in Perth. I haven't got tickets yet, due to insufficient funds at the moment.

Jolteon, I LOVE that concerto! I hope you are able to get the money to see it. He is FANTASTIC with it on the CD, and I would expect that he is just as fantastic with it live.

i heard him play here in Kansas a few years back. AFterwards, he was signing CDs at a table.. just like a regular person. I congratulated him on his WONDERFUL playing, (and I really loved his final 'march of the Siamese children' piece..

He asked me if i wanted to buy a CD. I must have teared up when I said "I wish".. anyway, he GAVE me one.

now that's a good guy.

I am proud to say :P I have attended the same school as him

Stephen Hough is a lovely man and I remember being inspired by him immensely when I was a teen. My mom took me to the Mostly Mozart festival at Avery Fisher and I watched him play the von Weber Konzertstuck (not a coincidence that I played it much later, myself). He was brilliant and got multiple ovations. I appreciate his artistry and his choices of repertoire. I think it's a nice mix of standard and contemporary.

He's on Twitter - you should follow! I read his blog as well.

A beautiful speech by Mr. Hough

That's Stephen. Gracious man with a warm heart.

I already liked and admired Stephen Hough, but your story made me like and admire him even more!

and btw.. perhaps because he gave me a free CD, I bought this book.

It is PLENTY difficult and absolutely delightful!.. especially the march of the siamese children.

Ooh, lucky you! I adore Stephen Hough, a brilliant pianist and a total renaissance man.... I mean, he blogs about everything from perfumes to puddings!

Would love to meet the guy.

i follow his blog occasionally. he's an interesting guy .. that's for sure.