Federico Mompou: Works for piano
Stephen Hough, piano
1997. Hyperion Records CDA66963
The low-voiced music of Catalan composer Federico Mompou (1893-1987) can hardly be characterized as belonging to the pianist's core repertoire. When one listens to Stephen Hough's Hyperion recording, one can only regret the relative anonymity of this composer, but at the same time be grateful for the vision and courage of this British musician, probing into relatively unchartered territory. By this I don't mean to say that this is the first time Mompou is the subject of a recording, but out of the few and far between discs available, I doubt that any can corner this one.
The
magical transparency of Stephen Hough's touch, his sense of drama and solemnity
presented in the most subtle and unpretentious manner, takes the listener
towards the core of a rare, mystical and in every way unique musical experience.
Be warned good folks, meeting with the everyday world is not always so
easy after a journey through the dreamscapes of Stephen Hough's Mompou.
There
are traces of a great variety in the music of Federico Mompou. Harmonically
one can hear the kinship to both folkmusic and jazz, but first and foremost
there is the indisputable influence of Erik Satie, as Stephen Hough so
eloquently points out in the brilliant and highly informative CD-booklet.
The temporal span of the selected works is over 40 years, so this record
is a first rate introduction to Federico Mompou the composer.
One can only praise Hyperion for
having done it again; including wonderful yet peripheral music, presented
by an unusually insightful musician, into catalouges packed with the "great
ones". When it comes to Stephen Hough, one can only mention recordings
like his account of the Mendelssohn pianoconcertos, or the concertos of
Scharwenka and Sauer on Hyperion'sThe Romantic pianoconcerto. Or why
not try some of his ferocious Liszt or insightful Schumann on Virgin Classics.
This is clearly one of todays finest and most exciting pianists.