Pianist Stephen Hough's First All-Debussy Recording to be Released by Hyperion Records

By: Dec. 05, 2017
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Pianist Stephen Hough's First All-Debussy Recording to be Released by Hyperion Records

This winter, with the commencement of the Claude Debussy (1862-1918) centennial year, pianist Stephen Hough's first recording devoted exclusively to the composer's music is released on Hyperion Records. The album features a variety of Debussy's solo piano works-from a suite (Children's Corner) to triptychs (Estampes and the two books of Images) to miniatures (La plus que lente and L'isle joyeuse). The recording release date is Friday, December 29 in the U.K. and Friday, January 5 in the U.S., with pre-orders currently available via Amazon and iTunes.

"Debussy is one of the few composers who actually created a new sound on the piano-or perhaps we should say a new smell, so perfumed are the vibrations which emanate from the instrument," said Mr. Hough. "On this CD I gather together some of his greatest works, music which seems as if improvised on the spot but which is as intellectually rigorous and fastidiously crafted as anything in the repertoire. Debussy the poet in his titles, the painter in his textures, but supremely one of the greatest musical ears who ever lived."

Click here for audio excerpts from the recording.

Mr. Hough also celebrates the Debussy centennial with recitals around the world this season, including at Carnegie Hall on January 30. His recital program, which includes Images I and II, juxtaposes the music of Debussy with works by Beethoven and Schumann.

He has recorded over 50 albums for London-based Hyperion Records, and his recordings have garnered such international prizes as the Deutscher Schallplattenpreis, Diapason d'Or, Monde de la Musique, several Grammy nominations, and eight GramophoneMagazine Awards, including the 1996 and 2003 "Record of the Year" Awards and the 2008 "Gold Disc" Award, which named his complete Saint-Saëns piano concertos the best recording of the past 30 years. His 2012 recording of the complete Chopin waltzes received the Diapason d'Or de l'Année, France's most prestigious recording award, and his 2004 live recording of the Rachmaninoff piano concertos was the fastest-selling recording in Hyperion's history. Recent releases include solo works by Scriabin and Janá?ek and a recording of the Dvo?ák and Schumann piano concertos with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra conducted by Andris Nelsons.

Stephen Hough has distinguished himself as a true polymath, not only securing a reputation as an insightful pianist, but also as a writer and composer. In 2001, he was the first classical performing artist to receive a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship and, in 2013, he was named a Commander of the British Empire. He has appeared with most of the major American and European orchestras and plays recitals regularly in major halls and concert series around the world. As a writer, he contributes to The Guardian, The Times, Gramophone, and BBC Music Magazine, and for seven years, his blog for The Telegraph was one of the most popular and influential forums for cultural discussion. In March, his first novel, The Final Retreat, will be published by Sylph Editions. His musical compositions are published by Josef Weinberger Ltd. To learn more about Mr. Hough, visit stephenhough.com.


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