Get ready to have your ears dazzled by the sheer brilliance of Stephen Hough, the British pianist and composer who's about to blow the lid off the often-misunderstood art of classical music transcription. Ahead of his game-changing album, Hough is on a mission to rewrite history – or rather, re-score it – and prove that this timeless tradition has been unfairly maligned as little more than a 'guilty pleasure'.
For centuries, the greats of classical music didn't just leave their mark on the genre; they also borrowed from each other with impunity. Johann Sebastian Bach, for instance, took Vivaldi's violin concertos and transcribed them for keyboard – a masterclass in creative reworking. Meanwhile, Ludwig van Beethoven was busy turning others' themes into his own showstoppers. And let's not forget the Elizabethan virginalists, who regularly took popular tunes and turned them into something entirely new.
But then came the 20th century, when attitudes began to shift – particularly in Germany, where transcription became associated with flashy virtuosity and a perceived lack of gravitas. The likes of Franz Liszt, who transformed operas like Mozart's Don Giovanni into jaw-dropping piano works, raised the bar for technical showmanship – but also, some argued, prioritised style over substance.
Hough points out that this downturn in transcriptions post-Second World War was partly a reaction against 'excessive virtuosity' – where audiences were more interested in witnessing pianists' technical pyrotechnics than genuinely appreciating the music. Take Bach's Chaconne, for example: through transcription, it became a grand, gothic monument that bore little resemblance to its original slender violin version.
Now, Hough believes it's time for a re-evaluation – and draws parallels with jazz, where familiar melodies are reworked into something entirely new. This approach offers listeners a fresh perspective on beloved works, rather than just being presented with the same old tune in a different guise. His upcoming album is poised to make a major contribution to this renewed appreciation for a genre that's been unfairly dismissed.