Stephen Hough presents an enchanting program of French music, played with the filigree perfection and total command of the music's expressive world that make him one of the most admired pianists of today. In typical Houghian style, this recital is full of surprises and lesser-known gems from the repertoire, as well as works by the masters Faure, Ravel, Debussy and Poulenc. A particular delight is Hough's own arrangement of the Massenet song "Crepuscule," a ravishing exercise in creative yet faithful transcription. This release is both a tribute to the lyric genius which flowered in nineteenth- and twentieth-century France, and a glimpse into the musical mind of a great pianist.
1 Toccata and Fugue in D minor BWV565 Arranged By Alfred Cortot (18771962) & Stephen Hough (B1961) [8'40] [Johann Sebastian Bach]
2 Arioso from Keyboard Concerto No 5 in F minor BWV1056 Arranged By Alfred Cortot (18771962) [2'33] [Johann Sebastian Bach]
3 Nocturne No 6 in D Flat Major Op 63 [Gabriel Faure] [7'43]
4 Improvisation in C Sharp minor Op 84/5 [Gabriel Faure] [2'07]
5 Impromptu No 5 in F Sharp minor Op 102 [Gabriel Faure] [2'10]
6 Barcarolle No 5 in F Sharp minor Op 66 [Gabriel Faure] [5'49]
7 Alborada Del Gracioso from Miroirs [Maurice Ravel] [6'25]
8 Crépuscule from Poëme Pastoral Arranged By Stephen Hough (B1961) [Jules Massenet] [2'00]
9 Mélancolie from Dix Pièces Pittoresques [Emmanuel Chabrier] [1'51]
10 Mélancolie [Francis Poulenc] [5'40]
11 Nocturne No 4 in C minor Bal Fantôme [Francis Poulenc] [1'35]
12 Improvisation No 8 in a Minor [Francis Poulenc] [1'17]
13 Automne Op 35/2 [Cécile Chaminade] [5'35]
14 La Chanson de la Folle Au Bord de la Mer Op 31/8 [Charles-Valentin Alkan] [4'11]
15 Clair de Lune from Suite Bergamasque [Claude Debussy] [4'55]
16 Pizzicati from Sylvia Arranged By Stephen Hough (B1961) [Clément Philibert Léo Delibes] [2'34]
17 Réminiscences de la Juive Fantaisie Brillante Sur Des Motifs de Lopéra de Halévy S409A Franz Liszt [13'21]
Stephen Hough presents an enchanting program of French music, played with the filigree perfection and total command of the music's expressive world that make him one of the most admired pianists of today. In typical Houghian style, this recital is full of surprises and lesser-known gems from the repertoire, as well as works by the masters Faure, Ravel, Debussy and Poulenc. A particular delight is Hough's own arrangement of the Massenet song "Crepuscule," a ravishing exercise in creative yet faithful transcription. This release is both a tribute to the lyric genius which flowered in nineteenth- and twentieth-century France, and a glimpse into the musical mind of a great pianist.
