British-Australian pianist Stephen Hough has been known for solid performances of mainstream repertory and to a degree for compositions of his own. He has championed a few lesser-known composers, and here he tries something completely different: a set of largely unknown miniatures, some of which are his own. They are dreamlike enough in that they are sequenced to evoke a set of images, and to avoid big strokes that break the mood. In itself, that's nothing you might not hear on a dozen crossover albums on Classic FM, but in ...
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British-Australian pianist Stephen Hough has been known for solid performances of mainstream repertory and to a degree for compositions of his own. He has championed a few lesser-known composers, and here he tries something completely different: a set of largely unknown miniatures, some of which are his own. They are dreamlike enough in that they are sequenced to evoke a set of images, and to avoid big strokes that break the mood. In itself, that's nothing you might not hear on a dozen crossover albums on Classic FM, but in Hough's hands the effect is unique and entrancing. For one thing, the program is personal; he explains in his own notes his connections to some of these works. For another, his transcriptions, arrangements, and original compositions are all carefully measured to contribute to the overall effect. They are often playful in mood, putting, for example, new rhythmic twists on familiar pieces (sample Matilda's Rhumba) that set them in contrast to the intensely nostalgic mood of pieces...
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