Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Pianist Corner Hough's recital (guest appearance by Palindrome)

Friend and forum poster Palindrome made the trek from Chicago to join me and some other friends today for Steven Hough's solo recital at Xavier University here in Cincinnati. After the recital, we had Cincinnati's finest cuisine, Skyline Chili, courtesy of Palindrome! I was surprised when he began to speak Indonesian with a friend from Java who came with us. He is a very intelligent and thoughtful person and I was happy to meet him.

Hough's program:

Brahms, Ballades op. 10
Leighton, Six Study-Variations
---
Poulenc, Three Novellettes
Schumann, Carnaval

The Brahms, simply put, isn't the most technically demanding music in the repertoire. By focusing on the intense harmony and agitated character of the first, it sounded like the most difficult piece ever written. I was simply in awe through the whole piece. What I especially liked in each of the Ballades was how Hough was making dynamics in the music relate to the character. It wasn't just loud and soft. The entire specturm of emotional gamut, so critical in early Brahms, was there.

His softs. Just when I thought that it couldn't possibly get any softer it did. Again, they just weren't soft - some were intimate, others riddled with tension.

Kenneth Leighton, an English composer now deceased, composed his Study-Variations in the late 60's I believe (lost my program notes). Obviously Hough has a nationalistic kinship with this music, which goes from turgid atonality and extreme chromaticism to poignant, sometimes even playful, moments of pointilism elsewhere. His octaves in the final etude were fantastic.

The Poulenc was hilarious. Pinache, wit, everything that's associated with Poulenc's idiom was there. Not being Poulenc's biggest fan, I had expected to just sit through it, but I must say that I enjoyed it tremendously. It was just so French.

As it turned out, nor Palindrome or I are Schumann fans. It was probably the fastest Carnival that I have heard live, and at times sounded like Poulenc. However, there was a complete contrast in character throughout with a strong focus on the pedal as a tool of color. He rarely used it, and when he did it was obvious that it was for musical effect and richness. Palindrome said it best - "Where can you buy ears like that?"

The only human moment that Hough had was at the end of the last movement where he missed almost all of the final chords. In any student recital, most people would become meek and hold back. Hough simply didn't care, knowing that if he held back, the effect would be lost. I couldn't have cared less that he had missed the chords because the effect was there. It reminds me of a sentence out of Schonberg's book, "The Great Pianists" where he says that when the greatest pianists fail, they fail spectacularly. A spot on the sun indeed, but by no means forcing the idea or the sound to become tepid and reserved.

He offered two encores, both original compositions. I have to get the score to them as soon as they are available - he told me that he finished composing them only two months ago. They come from a suite of six pieces. It's great to see, like Volodos and Marc-Andre Hamelin, that Hough is trying to revive the composer-pianist tradition of the late 19th/early 20th century.

This was the most satisfying recital that I have ever attended.

I forgot my camera. No picture, but he did autograph my Brahms 2 score! Yeah!

So, it goes without saying that if he is playing anywhere near your locale, go!

Brendan,
Thanks for the review of the recital! I really wish I could have heard it. I'll have to call my former teacher to hear his reaction as well. I studied the Carnaval with him and actually like it a lot (along with much other Schumann). Your comment about great pianists failing spectacularly is so apt. Many don't realize that mistakes happen in live concerts; I guess the world of the perfect sounding CD is too pervasive. Also, it's great to hear modern pianists playing their own compositions just like so many of the great ones did in the past. I'll look forward to Stephen's latest compositions when they become available. And finally, I not only miss the Xavier series, but Skyline as well!!

Was your teacher Pridonoff?

It was well worth the trip (true to my name, I came right back to Chicago). One of the three best recitals I've ever heard*. The next time Brendan suggests you hear someone, you might pay attention. Thanks, Brendan.

The program notes on the Leighton pieces read:

Six Study-Variations, Op. 56 - Kenneth Leighton (1929-1988)

Kenneth leighton had a distinguished life as a composer, pianist, and, latterly, as Reid Professor of Music at Edinburgh University. He wrote his Six Study-Variations in 1969 and they are an important and inexplicably neglected example of English piano music at its best. The rhythmic inventiveness - moving from the pointillism of the second and fourth studies to the snappy, jazz-like syncopations of the ferociously virtuosic final one - is always perfectly judged and paced, and the harmonic tension never strains nor slacks. At the heart of the work is the densely chromatic third study in which slow, repeated notes collide and rise inexorably in thickening clusters to a fast-shaking climax of defiant intensity. (Notes by S. Hough, from his recording of the work on Steven Hough's English Piano Album - Hyperion CDA 67267)

(*Horowitz, Chicago, 1970's, and Brendel, Schubert, including Wanderer Fantasie, also 1970's.)

No, Frederic Gahr. He was at CCM a long time ago, then set up his own studio. I studied with him for 15 years, following my 2 older brothers. He has helped run the Xavier series since the beginning. I heard practically every recital during the first 10 years of the series. Some great artists such as Badura-Skoda, Ciccolini, Moravec. Of course, the series tends to present the younger, less well-known pianists because of budget limitations. I don't know the Pridonoffs personnally, but certainly know of them. Who have been your teachers at CCM? Just curious.
BTW, just received Hamelin's latest Liszt Paganini studies CD. Haven't listened to it yet.

Palindrome,
Was the Horowitz recital you consider one of the best the one in '77 when he appeared at Orchestra Hall playing the Liszt Sonata, Rachmaninoff Polka de V.R. et al.? I heard that program,the only time I heard Horowitz live. My teacher said his live performances showcased his unique sound much better than any recording. I believed him. I was amazed how well he could project a sound that could be both big and transparent, not thick or muddy. His specially voiced piano was one reason, but his artistry certainly the main one. I'm glad you enjoyed hearing Hough. I heard him twice before at Xavier. Each time I came away very impressed!

I heard Rubinstein live in 1971 in New York. He was almost totally blind -- could barely see the piano as he walked to it. There were more wrong notes in that concert than any piano concert I have ever been to in my life -- even intermediate student recitals.

It was also the best concert I ever heard. (at one point, he lost his place in a Chopin Mazurka, and made it up on the spot!)

Tavner,
I heard that '77 Horowitz recital you're referring to. As I've mentioned before, I'll NEVER FORGET THAT Liszt sonata!

Does Hough ever play in NYC? I have much of his music and play 5 of his song transcriptions. I have his My Favorite Things and New Piano Album and enjoy both tremendously.

Brendan mentioned he played the Brahms Ballades. I remember hearing the last Ballade for the first time two years ago at a master class in the
Mannes Keyboard Festival. It was played by one of the winners of this past summer's competition, a pianist named Christopher Devine(describes his playing, in my opinion). I thought it was the most beautiful piece I had never heard until that day!(I think the first two Ballades are played much more frequently)

Was Devine the one who played the Schumann Op. 16 and Prokofiev sonata #5 at the competition? I never heard their names!

He played Ravel's Gaspard de la nuit, the Chopin 3rd Ballade, and the Schubert A minor Sonata.

While we're at Maestro Hough I thought many of us would be glad to know:

http://www.gramophone.co.uk/newsMainTemplate.asp?storyID=1420&newssectionID=1

Brendan:

Thanks for the great concert review... I'm glad to hear he performs as well live as on recording. Since you were the one who recommended his CDs to me on this forum, I hold you responsible for my now owning almost every one of his albums (not, unfortunately, the award-winning Saint-Saens, however!), and I've truly enjoyed every one.

I wish I was good enough to play some of his transcriptions...

I'll definitely keep my eyes/ears open to see if he's anywhere near Phoenix. I gather you met him? How lucky. I have a friend who *may* meet him at a McArthur Fellow get-together coming up. I told him to send a gushy fan appreciation comment his way from me, but doubt if he will.

Nina

Got around to listening to Hough's Hyperion recording of the Saint-Saens' Concertos. Wonderful performances, the best I have ever heard of these concertos. The other complete sets I've heard are by Pascal Roge and Aldo Ciccolini. Both are good, but don't approach Hough's scintillating traversals. The shorter pieces, Wedding Cake, Rapsodie d'Auvergne, Allegro appassionato, and Africa also make for enjoyable listening. Even the First Concerto, which I've never in concert, Hough makes into a very attractive piece.

Hey Brendan, how are Leighton's "Six Study-Variations"?

I don't have the recording with that piece on it, but I was really curious about Leighton and his music...

I honestly didn't like it at first, but it develops into something interesting in the middle of the first etude and grows from there. It's basically two different styles - the first, third, fifth, and sixth etudes being heavier, very chromatic and turgid a la Richard Strauss, and the second and fourth being kind of pointilistic. Almost Webern, but more intersting than that.

He plays them well and was selling discs afterwards (autographed by him, of course). I wanted to pick one up, but alas...no flow handy.

What is your level(what are some of the most recent pieces you play)? Some of Hough's works are extremely difficult, but some of his song transcriptions( e.g.Now Sleeps the Crimson Petal. Londonderry Air) require relatively modest technical ability but are amazingly beautiful.