Piano Concerto, Sonatina & Partita
Hyperion, 2025
8/10
Listen to Piano Concerto, Sonatina & Partita
The inimitable pianist Stephen Hough presents us a world premiere recording of his first Piano Concerto, "The World of Yesterday," which is fleshed out with The Hallé and conducted by Sir Mark Elder, plus the solo setting of 2 other selections.
The 3 detailed segments of “The World Of Yesterday” leads with the soft winds and elegant strings that suit Hough’s bright and melodic key progressions, which that flow in and out of tense and cinematic bouts.
The middle track belongs to the meticulous gestures of “Sonatina Nostalgica”, where intimacy and poeticism are present in spades, while “Paritita” is full of firm keys and dizzying dynamics that few others could replicate.
All the tracks present were penned within 5 years of each other, illustrate nostalgia while illuminating musical motifs of the past, and continue Hough’s position as a respected figure of chamber, choral and, above all, solo piano music.
Travels well with: Cavatina Duo- River Of Fire; Shawn E Okpebholo- Songs In Flight