Stephen Hough - Debussy: Piano Music (2018)

Debussy's piano music has always been popular, of course, but the variety of good and distinctive recordings of it in the middle and late 2010s must point to some kind of cultural trend. This one by the fine pianist Stephen Hough comes on the heels of a selection by young Seong-Jin Cho, and the two recordings make a fascinating pair, covering much of the same territory. The program diverges with Hough opening with the Estampes, while Cho plays the more proto-neoclassical Suite Bergamasque. Each pianist plays to his strength here: Cho's playing has a kind of uncanny clarity, while Hough is a specialist in painterly varied textures. Hough's two sets of Images are wonderful, with tones sparking out of different registers like stars in the night sky. His Children's Corner, even more than most readings, is subtle, more music for adults watching children than music for or about children; "Doctor Gradus ad Parnassum" is a reflection on the continuing relevance of counterpoint in modern music rather than a young pianist's exercise. Only the final L'isle joyeuse loses a bit of energy, but this is a Debussy recital that will repay repeated hearings, nicely recorded: Bristol's St. George's Church might not seem an ideal Debussy venue. -- James Manheim