Frédéric Chopin - Late Masterpieces (Stephen Hough)

Information

Composer: Frédéric Chopin

1. Barcarolle in F sharp major, Op. 60
2. Mazurka in F minor, Op. 63 No. 2
3. Mazurka in A minor, Op. 67 No. 4
4. Mazurka in C sharp minor, Op. 63 No. 3
5. Mazurka in F minor, Op. 68 No. 4
6. Polonaise-Fantaisie in A flat major, Op. 61
7. Nocturne in B major, Op. 62 No. 1
8. Nocturne in E major, Op. 62 No. 2
9. Piano Sonata No. 3 in B minor, Op. 58: I. Allegro maestoso
10. Piano Sonata No. 3 in B minor, Op. 58: II. Scherzo: Molto vivace
11. Piano Sonata No. 3 in B minor, Op. 58: III. Largo
12. Piano Sonata No. 3 in B minor, Op. 58: IV. Finale: Presto non tanto
13. Berceuse in D flat major, Op. 57

Stephen Hough, piano

Date: 2010

Label: Hyperion

https://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/dc.asp?dc=D_CDA67764

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Review

Hough heartfelt playing offers a masterclass in style and poise

A new Hough disc is one of life’s pleasures. You know the programme will have been carefully considered and nurtured, every aspect of the performance and recording attended to in the finest detail, matched by Hyperion’s exacting standards of presentation. Hough’s Chopin can be a little emotionally chilly in a studio-perfect environment (viz his 2003 recording of the Ballades and Scherzi) but here, for the most part, he transcends the lonely confines of St George’s (Bristol) to offer a masterclass in pianistic command and stylistic poise with the most heartfelt playing of any of his recent recordings. There are few who can elucidate the question-and-answer phrasing of Chopin’s music with Hough’s transparency and unaffected simplicity. I refer you to the opening Barcarolle, the selection of four Mazurkas, two Nocturnes and the closing Berceuse. At the centre of the recital is a masterly performance of the enigmatic Polonaise-Fantasy. In Hough’s hands, this discursive, experimental piece of great depth and beauty becomes an operatic aria. It seems to cry out for lyrics and a soprano.

After the first movement of the B minor Sonata (without the exposition repeat), Hough takes the Scherzo at a conservative molto vivace compared with, say, Freire, Lipatti or Oborin, while the finale, after one of those long-spun cantilena movements that Hough does so well, is an acutely executed studio recording. The disc’s striking cover has the Bowler-hatted Hough gazing at a Rothko abstract. The connection between Bowler, Rothko and Chopin is the subject of a thought-provoking essay by the pianist.

-- Jeremy Nicholas, Gramophone

More reviews:
http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2010/Sept10/chopin_hough_CDA67764.htm

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2010/apr/15/chopin-stephen-hough-cd-review

https://www.allmusic.com/album/chopin-late-masterpieces-mw0001976412

https://www.audaud.com/chopin-late-masterpieces-marzurkas-barcarolles-berceuse-sonata-no-3-etc-stephen-hough-p-hyperion/

https://www.amazon.com/Chopin-Late-Masterpieces-Frederic/dp/B0037TTQ4M

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Frédéric Chopin (22 February or 1 March 1810 – 17 October 1849) was a Polish composer and virtuoso pianist of the Romantic era who wrote primarily for the solo piano. He gained and has maintained renown worldwide as one of the leading musicians of his era. Chopin's music, his status as one of music's earliest superstars, his association with political insurrection, his love life and his early death have made him a leading symbol of the Romantic era in the public consciousness. His works remain popular, and he has been the subject of numerous films and biographies of varying degrees of historical accuracy.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frédéric_Chopin

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Stephen Hough (born 22 November 1961) is a British-born classical pianist, composer and writer. He has appeared as a soloist with major orchestras, as recitalist on the major stages, and as chamber musician with top musicians. He is also known for his various dazzling recordings of encore pieces and for championing lesser-known composers. His recordings (more than 50 of them) received multiple awards. As a composer, he has written over 30 published pieces, and often includes his own works in his recitals. As a writer, Hough has written about his homosexuality and its relationship with both his music-making and his religion.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Hough

http://www.stephenhough.com/

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