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Stephen Hough - Edvard Grieg: Lyric Pieces (2015)

Posted By: Designol

Date: 14 Oct 2022 10:39:20

As a world-renowned piano virtuoso, Stephen Hough has demonstrated time and again his prodigious skills in brilliant performances of the great concertos, though as a recording artist, he has revealed a wider range of repertoire and unexpected interests. This Hyperion release of Edvard Grieg's Lyric Pieces is an example of how Hough sometimes ventures into quiet, less familiar byways that offer him a variety of expressive possibilities. These miniatures are far removed from blockbuster showpieces, and their picturesque scenes and delicate melodies suggest the careful handiwork of the craftsman. They also reflect Grieg's nostalgia for the Romantic past and love for Norwegian fairy tales and folkways, which he expressed with disarming simplicity and succinctness. Hough's program of 27 selections from the larger collection of 66 pieces, published in 10 books, extends from the early Arietta of 1867 to Remembrances of 1901, giving a generous representation of Grieg's intimate musings and evocative character studies. Hough's playing tends toward the smoothly turned phrase and a gentle touch, though he sometimes brings out the piano's harsher metallic sonorities in more forceful pieces.

Review by Blair Sanderson, Allmusic.com

It’s rare for a pianist to reveal familiar repertoire in fresh and newly minted ways without being willful, eccentric, or unorthodox. Not Stephen Hough. His expertly curated collection of Grieg Lyric Pieces abounds with individual touches, yet the interpretations couldn’t sound more natural or inevitable.

The pianist plays the Op. 12 No. 1 Arietta faster than usual, allowing the familiar melody to effortlessly float over the bar lines, while the Berceuse lilts with perceptible yet amazingly subtle rubato. Using almost no pedal, Hough strips off a century of sentiment and frilly phrasing from Butterfly (Op. 43 No. 1), and the music really takes off. Note also the Little bird’s precisely calibrated trilled chords.

Hough’s conversational phrase shaping liberates Erotikon and At the cradle from the languid and foursquare performance traditions that have followed these pieces around for decades. He intensifies the Valse-Impromptu’s tart melodic dissonances by way of a firmly projected right-hand legato against the relatively muted and clipped left-hand accompaniment. Many pianists knock off the March of the Trolls at a breakneck pace, yet Hough’s slower, steadier tempo lends itself to greater precision and character in the quick flourishes.

Much as I love to draw out and slobber over Bell ringing’s open fifths as if the music were wandering in from a New Age seminar, I must admit that Hough’s animated understatement and dry-eyed directness is closer to the composer’s mark. The pianist also subjects Wedding Day at Troldhaugen’s thick rolled chords and heavy textures to a welcome slimming and muscle-toning cure. And for a good example of Hough’s exquisite timing and timbral sensitivity, go to the final selection, Remembrances, and listen to the main theme (the aforementioned Arietta in waltz time) when it reiterates a half-step down. That’s just one of many magical, revelatory moments in a gorgeous release that pianophiles and Grieg fans alike will cherish for keeps.

Review by Jed Distler, ClassicsToday.com

Edvard Grieg at Allmusic
Edvard Grieg at Wiki

Stephen Hough at Allmusic
Stephen Hough Website
Stephen Hough at Wiki

Tracklist:

01. Arietta, Op.12 No.1 (01:09)
02. Berceuse, Op.38 No.1 (02:32)
03. Elegy, Op.38 No.6 (02:27)
04. Butterfly, Op.43 No.1 (01:43)
05. Solitary Traveller, Op.43 No.2 (01:40)
06. In My Native Country, Op.43 No.3 (01:46)
07. Little Bird, Op.43 No.4 (01:38)
08. Erotikon, Op.43 No.5 (02:23)
09. To Spring, Op.43 No.6 (03:07)
10. Valse-Impromptu, Op.47 No.1 (03:22)
11. Melody, Op.47 No.3 (02:45)
12. Elegy, Op.47 No.7 (03:11)
13. March of the Trolls, Op.54 No.3 (02:59)
14. Notturno, Op.54 No.4 (03:53)
15. Bell Ringing, Op.54 No.6 (03:31)
16. Homesickness, Op.57 No.6 (03:36)
17. Sylph, Op.62 No.1 (01:26)
18. Homeward, Op.62 No.6 (03:03)
19. From Early Years, Op.65 No.1 (04:46)
20. Salon, Op.65 No.4 (02:09)
21. Wedding Day at Troldhaugen, Op.65 No.6 (05:57)
22. Grandmother's Minuet, Op.68 No.2 (02:12)
23. At Your Feet, Op.68 No.3 (03:10)
24. At the Cradle, Op.68 No.5 (02:25)
25. Summer's Eve, Op.71 No.2 (02:17)
26. Puck, Op.71 No.3 (01:55)
27. Remembrances, Op.71 No.7 (01:51)

EAC log

Exact Audio Copy V1.1 from 23. June 2015

EAC extraction logfile from 8. November 2015, 21:30

Stephen Hough / Grieg - Lyric Pieces

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==== Log checksum 09D10692307E34048845612EAAAD10ADCCE4C24F2E388FFA138A5C35DC14A01A ====

DR log

foobar2000 1.2 / Dynamic Range Meter 1.1.1
log date: 2016-08-17 02:42:54

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Analyzed: Stephen Hough / Grieg - Lyric Pieces
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

DR Peak RMS Duration Track
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
DR12 -16.36 dB -35.03 dB 1:09 01-Arietta, Op.12 No.1
DR14 -7.43 dB -28.53 dB 2:33 02-Berceuse, Op.38 No.1
DR14 -8.48 dB -29.44 dB 2:27 03-Elegy, Op.38 No.6
DR12 -12.66 dB -28.67 dB 1:44 04-Butterfly, Op.43 No.1
DR14 -7.95 dB -29.00 dB 1:41 05-Solitary Traveller, Op.43 No.2
DR13 -13.70 dB -31.54 dB 1:47 06-In My Native Country, Op.43 No.3
DR15 -8.16 dB -29.02 dB 1:39 07-Little Bird, Op.43 No.4
DR13 -10.18 dB -28.91 dB 2:23 08-Erotikon, Op.43 No.5
DR13 -4.12 dB -25.33 dB 3:07 09-To Spring, Op.43 No.6
DR14 -8.43 dB -27.72 dB 3:23 10-Valse-Impromptu, Op.47 No.1
DR13 -6.64 dB -26.23 dB 2:46 11-Melody, Op.47 No.3
DR12 -9.66 dB -28.29 dB 3:11 12-Elegy, Op.47 No.7
DR14 -1.78 dB -23.40 dB 3:00 13-March of the Trolls, Op.54 No.3
DR15 -7.66 dB -29.01 dB 3:54 14-Notturno, Op.54 No.4
DR16 -5.07 dB -28.72 dB 3:31 15-Bell Ringing, Op.54 No.6
DR14 -9.14 dB -30.22 dB 3:36 16-Homesickness, Op.57 No.6
DR12 -8.91 dB -26.91 dB 1:27 17-Sylph, Op.62 No.1
DR12 -2.00 dB -21.46 dB 3:03 18-Homeward, Op.62 No.6
DR13 -2.89 dB -21.02 dB 4:47 19-From Early Years, Op.65 No.1
DR13 -10.02 dB -28.52 dB 2:09 20-Salon, Op.65 No.4
DR15 -0.14 dB -21.32 dB 5:58 21-Wedding Day at Troldhaugen, Op.65 No.6
DR15 -10.43 dB -31.46 dB 2:12 22-Grandmother's Minuet, Op.68 No.2
DR14 -7.45 dB -28.27 dB 3:11 23-At Your Feet, Op.68 No.3
DR14 -13.27 dB -32.48 dB 2:26 24-At the Cradle, Op.68 No.5
DR13 -11.16 dB -30.38 dB 2:17 25-Summer's Eve, Op.71 No.2
DR14 -4.95 dB -24.53 dB 1:55 26-Puck, Op.71 No.3
DR13 -12.46 dB -30.40 dB 1:51 27-Remembrances, Op.71 No.7
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Number of tracks: 27
Official DR value: DR14

Samplerate: 44100 Hz
Channels: 2
Bits per sample: 16
Bitrate: 418 kbps
Codec: FLAC
================================================================================

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