Rough Ideas

Stephen Hough is indisputably one of the world's leading pianists, winning global acclaim and numerous awards, both for his concerts and recordings. He is also a writer, composer and painter and was recently described by the Economist as one of '20 Living Polymaths'.

As an international performer he spends much of his life at airports, on planes, and in hotel rooms - and this book expands notes he has made, in his words, 'during that dead time on the road'.

He writes about music and the life of a musician, from exploring the broader aspects of what it is to walk out on to a stage or to make a recording, to specialist tips from deep inside the practice room: how to trill, how to pedal, how to practise. He also writes vividly about people he's known, places he's travelled to, books he's read, paintings he's seen; and touches on more controversial subjects, such as assisted suicide and abortion. Even religion is there - the possibility of the existence of God, problems with some biblical texts and the challenge involved in being a gay Catholic.

Stephen Hough este, fara indoiala, unul dintre principalii pianisti din lume, castigand recunostinte la nivel mondial si numeroase premii, atat pentru concertele sale, cat si pentru inregistrarile sale. El este, de asemenea, scriitor, compozitor si pictor si a fost recent descris de Economist ca fiind unul dintre „20 Polymath Living”. In calitate de interpret international, isi petrece o mare parte din viata in aeroporturi, avioane si camere de hotel - iar aceasta carte se extinde notele pe care le-a facut, in cuvintele sale, „in acel moment mort pe drum”. El scrie despre muzica si viata unui muzician, de la explorarea aspectelor mai largi ale a ceea ce inseamna a iesi pe scena sau a face o inregistrare, la sfaturi de specialitate din interiorul salii de practica: cum sa tril, cum sa pedalezi, cum sa exersezi.