Above: Stephen Hough has been performing Rachmaninov Concerti in concerts with SSO as well as presenting this piano recital at City Recital Hall. This image is from his performance last week of the Rach 2. Image credit: Craig Abercrombie.

Celebrated pianist and polymath Sir Stephen Hough is visiting Sydney currently. In between presenting Rachmaninov piano concerti with Sydney Symphony Orchestra, he performed a concert to a large City Recital Hall crowd.

This event was a celebration of Hough’s intelligence, ingenuity and inspired music-making, with an interesting programme to match.

Titled Great Romantics, the programme included searching and passionate works from the traditionally perceived Romantics Chopin and Liszt. Hough also took us and the label of ‘romantic’ further. The remaining works by ‘romantics’ relied not on history alone.

We were exposed to newer works with a bold, passionate commitment to image, atmosphere and expressive or pictorial pianism. Apart from Liszt and Chopin we heard works from Mompou, Debussy and from Stephen Hough himself.

Experiencing Hough’s own composition, the sprawling Partita for Piano, at the centre of this recital was a special moment.

The clarity and commitment to delivery of bravura around subtlety was enjoyable here. It matched the expression and straight-line delivery revealed by this pianist in the works of other passionate composers in the programme equally  capable of encapsulating colour, shape and atmosphere.

Resourceful pianism, continued outstanding clarity and clever voicing were landmark features of Hough’s playing. Also obvious was a clear respect for the compositional masters and good choices for ‘Romantic’s’representational works.

Expertly unravelled here with broad rubato and an extemporised feel amongst the smooth filigree was the pair of Chopin works, his third Ballade and also the F sharp minor Nocturne.

Also realised with a salute to big piano playing and aching lyricism as well as a controlled management of line and texture was the final bracket of Liszt works in excerpt from Les Années de Pèlerinage (Second Year) : Italy.

The works numbered 4-7 from this set include the loved Petrarch’s Sonnet No 104 as well as the ‘Dante Sonata’. Audience members were not disappointed by the bravura displayed by Hough in this clear reading of such classics.

A highlight of this recital, considering Hough is playing huge Rachmaninov concerti in Australia currently was the more intimate, evocative parts of the  recital programme.

This recital started with Mompou’s diminutive five-piece set Cants Mágics (1917). This edgy set of spells, something of a high-powered Satie feel was a delicate and diversely nuanced treat in Hough’s hands.

As a contrast to his Rach Concerto project with SSO it was a clean, focussed suite with which to begin, showcasing both this lesser heard composer and Hough’s own ability to present diverse sounds in various works for his instrument.

Another take-home highlight of the event was the chance to witness Hough’s treatment of Debussy’s Estampes. Here Hough mined the works for aspects of Romanticism, pictorial, programmatic suggestion, national flavour and the joyous observation of nature.

Realising all these elements in crossover was no challenge for the clear intelligence of this pianist’s approach. Hearing Debussy beside other passionate composers was a beautiful flavour in a recital which dazzled us with so many flavours, prepared and played with such good taste.