Stephen Hough - Liszt- Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 2 – Grieg- Piano Concerto (2011/2023) [Official Digital Download 24/96]

In celebration of the 200th anniversary of Franz Liszt's birth, virtuoso pianist Stephen Hough recorded the Piano Concerto No. 1 in E flat major and the Piano Concerto No. 2 in A major, as well as Edvard Grieg's Piano Concerto in A minor, a Liszt-inspired work that rounds out the program appropriately. While these warhorses are overly familiar to most classical fans, the Liszt bicentennial has given some listeners a chance to hear his concertos with new ears and find fresh things to like in them. Hough is very nearly the ideal pianist to help with any reassessment, and his clear communication of the music certainly makes everything coherent and engrossing, no matter how many times these concertos have been played or heard. The fully engaged accompaniment of the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra also contributes to the performances' high level of interest, and Andrew Litton's alert direction is a good match for Hough's brilliance, especially in the Liszt concertos. The Grieg concerto is a more labored composition and offers less of the fantasy, flash, and fun that Liszt provides, but Hough gives it refinement and polish, and Litton keeps the textures and tone light enough to prevent the music from descending into murkiness. Hyperion's recording is transparent and well-balanced throughout, so all three concertos have splendid sound.

TRACKLIST

1. Andrew Litton - Liszt: Piano Concerto No. 1 in E-Flat Major, S. 124: I. Allegro maestoso. Tempo giusto
2. Andrew Litton - Liszt: Piano Concerto No. 1 in E-Flat Major, S. 124: II. Quasi adagio
3. Andrew Litton - Liszt: Piano Concerto No. 1 in E-Flat Major, S. 124: III. Allegretto vivace – Allegro animato
4. Andrew Litton - Liszt: Piano Concerto No. 1 in E-Flat Major, S. 124: IV. Allegro marziale animato
5. Andrew Litton - Liszt: Piano Concerto No. 2 in A Major, S. 125: I. Adagio sostenuto assai – II. Allegro agitato assai
7. Andrew Litton - Liszt: Piano Concerto No. 2 in A Major, S. 125: Vb. Un poco meno mosso
8. Andrew Litton - Liszt: Piano Concerto No. 2 in A Major, S. 125: VI. Allegro animato
9. Andrew Litton - Grieg: Piano Concerto in A Minor, Op. 16: I. Allegro molto moderato
10. Andrew Litton - Grieg: Piano Concerto in A Minor, Op. 16: II. Adagio
11. Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra - Grieg: Piano Concerto in A Minor, Op. 16: III. Allegro moderato molto e marcato



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