LISZT - SONATA, BALLADES AND POLONAISES Stephen Hough - Piano Hyperion CDA67085 Full Price

Recording a complete CD of Liszt's music is a test for any pianist. All aspects of virtuosity are tested, from the most delicatissimo of shimmering decorations through to explosive bursts of double octaves. A faultless technique is therefore taken for granted, but equally necessary are a sense of poetry, a feeling for sonorities and a freedom of imagination if the performer is to really make the music come alive. Stephen Hough manages to combine all of these in a display of both true artistry and great showmanship.

The main work on the disc is the great b minor Sonata: its technical challenges obviously present no great problems here and the texture is always impeccably balanced and clear, something that is specially noticeable in such contrapuntal passages as the opening of the central Allegro energico where each melodic strand is given its due weight. It is this clarity that is partially sacrificed in some recordings for sonority in a greater freedom with the damper pedal (e.g. Shura Cherkassky on NI5045). Whilst the pianistic fireworks are spectacular throughout, the most impressive playing comes in the Andante sostenuto - Quasi Adagio, where initially the music twists inwardly; Hough responds in turn with playing of utterly convincing sincerity. Similarly, in the last minutes of the piece the dialogue has just the right air of reflection and conclusion to make a satisfying end to the work's huge and involved structure.

The other half of the disc consists of the short Berceuse (S174) and two couplings, Two Polonaises (S223) and the two Ballades (S170 and S171). The Polonaises make a marvellous pair, with the strident and dazzling qualities of the second making a perfect foil to the more brooding and serious first, a contrast heightened by Hough's approach. The second displays the right hand's dexterity in ample measure, and often here, as in many other instances on the disc, the rapid flow of notes has the seemingly effortless poise and grace of a hovering hummingbird.

The First Ballade is also a thoroughly enjoyable work based on two contrasting themes - a lyrical, pathos-infused melody with a joyous march. The shadow of Chopin hangs over this music, particularly in the intricate decorations of the lyrical theme towards the end, but nonetheless this does not lessen the work's immediate attraction. The Second Ballade is more serious in intent and, as Tim Parry describes in his excellent sleeve notes, is much closer in spirit to the b minor Sonata. The simplicity of the following Berceuse (S174) is therefore a welcome breathing point between these two works. Interestingly, it is the first version which is recorded here which lacks the substantial decoration of the second.

This disc is a true demonstration of the artist as master of the instrument. It is the kind of recording that mortal pianists can play to students saying "now that's what the piano is capable of!"

Gavin Meredith