Stephen Hough's reticence does Chopin's genius a huge service in Chopin Nocturnes, especially when his playing is so refined
Stephen Hough Chopin Nocturnes Hyperion (2 CDs), out October 29
Rating: 
Like a lot of us, I keep wondering how I could have frittered away all that time during lockdown. One who needn’t is our greatest living pianist Stephen Hough, 60 in a few weeks, who, when prevented from performing live, learned and recorded seven new CDs.
This complete set of Chopin nocturnes, set down in excellent sound in London’s Queen Elizabeth Hall at the height of the pandemic, is a sure-fire winner, fit to be placed alongside recordings by giants of the past, such as my particular favourite, Arthur Rubinstein.
As always, Hough goes back to the composer’s intentions, and the creative world between 1830 and 1846, when these 18 pieces were composed.
As always, Stephen Hough (above) goes back to the composer’s intentions, and the creative world between 1830 and 1846, when these 18 pieces were composed.
He writes: ‘Chopin wrote no operas even though that form was his favourite, and singers not pianists were his musical heroes.’ These nocturnes really are songs without words.
As Hough explains: ‘A corpus of some of the finest operatic arias ever written. Here bel canto melodies abound, dramatic, tender and tragic, with virtuoso decoration reminiscent of a coloratura diva.’
Hough gives each one a good scrub to remove all the old varnish of deviant performing tradition, particularly spray-on romantic excess, and the results are revelatory.
Hough also takes the view that pianos of the time did not allow for romantic lingering and languishing. So the tempi here are generally quicker than normal, giving each phrase a muscle tone often lacking in more indulgent performances.
So even if you know the nocturnes (or think you do), and are well stocked with recordings, make room for this one, augmented as it is by five other charming but spurious nocturnes, once thought to be by Chopin.
Some pianists think a Chopin recital is all about them, and their excessive poetic feelings. Hough thinks these nocturnes, to which Chopin was devoted, are all about the composer.
His reticence does Chopin’s genius a huge service, especially when his playing is so refined, and his dynamics and tempi so perfectly judged.
