César Franck: Piano Music [Import]

Cesar Franck (Composer), Stephen Hough (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Stephen Hough
• Composer: Cesar Franck
• Audio CD (March 10, 1997)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: Hyperion UK
• ASIN: B000002ZYU
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #126,839 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #50 in Music > Classical > Opera & Vocal > Vocal Non-Opera > Caprices

Track Listings

1. Prelude, choral et fugue: Moderato

2. Prelude, choral et fugue: Poco piu lento

3. Prelude, choral et fugue: Tempo I

4. Prelude, choral et fugue: Allegro moderato e maestoso

5. Prelude, aria et final: Lento

6. Prelude, aria et final: Allegro molto ed agitato

7. Troisieme Choral

8. Danse Lente

9. Grand Caprice

10. Les Plaintes d'une poupee

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Freshly played Franck, December 1, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: César Franck: Piano Music (Audio CD)

It's always difficult to play Franck's two masterpieces, "Prelude, Choral et Fugue" and "Prelude, Aria et Finale", since it is not intended to show off a pianist's virtuosity even though technical demands on him/her are still very heavy. Mr. Hough plays these pieces very nicely. His technique is exceptional (For example, listen to his "Finale". Martellato playing is astonishing.). Also I heard his deep affection to these pieces. However, the best is "Troisieme Chorale" by his own transcription. Even though there are many transcriptions for this Franck's swan song, Mr. Hough's transcription seems to be the most well-written. He utilizes a wide range of keyboards in order it to sound like organ, yet plays this really pianistically. In my personal opinion, this can be sitting next to Bach-Busoni's Chacconne in the history of transcriptions for piano, if Mr. Hough allows to publish this.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Marvellous, January 30, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: César Franck: Piano Music (Audio CD)

The pianism of Stephen Hough is stunning. So said a music magazine - I agree. The music is superb, the playing is superb. Hough's transcription of the 3rd chorale left me speechless - the loud, meaty chords at the beginning have more notes in them than I thought it was possible to play all at once! This is a brilliant recording.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars César Franck's Rare Piano..., June 21, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: César Franck: Piano Music (Audio CD)

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Concur with the above reviewers.

This is a superb disc on one of the best of the "micro-brewed" classical labels, the British label Hyperion.

Hough's performances are excellent; the recording, quite good.

The piano music of Franck of course is stunning--the first piano music out of Belgium/France to rival Beethoven's.

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Prélude, fugue et variation

Ciccolini (1969)

i. 04'21 ii. 03'15 iii. 03'10--TT: 10'46

Crossely (1993)

i. 05'23 ii. 03'07 iii. 04'15--TT: 12'45

Frohnmeyer (1999)

-------------------------------------TT: 10'57

Paley (1994)

i. 04'52 ii. 03'12 iii. 04'06--TT: 12'10

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Prélude, choral et fugue

Ciccolini (1969)

i. 06'12 ii. 05'40 iii. 06'31--TT: 18'23

Crossely (1993)

i. 05'50 ii. 06'59 iii. 08'25--TT: 21'14

Hough (1996)

i. 04'55 ii. 06'33 iii. 06'54--TT: 18'22

Paley (1994)

i. 04'44 ii. 05'42 iii. 07'22--TT: 17'48

Wass (1998)

i. 04'57 ii. 06'36 iii. 07'34--TT: 19'08

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Prélude, aria et final

Ciccolini (1969)

i. 10'23 ii. 06'35 iii. 06'10--TT: 22'59

Crossely (1993)

i. 09'35 ii. 06'39 iii. 07'05--TT: 23'19

Hough (1996)

i. 08'08 ii. 05'21 iii. 06'14--TT: 19'43

Wass (1998)

i. 07'46 ii. 06'33 iii. 06'57--TT: 21'16

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