Stephen Hough's French Album

Stephen Hough presents an enchanting program of French music, played with the filigree perfection and total command of the music's expressive world that make him one of the most admired pianists of today. In typical Houghian style, this recital is full of surprises and lesser-known gems from the repertoire, as well as works by the masters Faure, Ravel, Debussy and Poulenc. A particular delight is Hough's own arrangement of the Massenet song ''Crepuscule,'' a ravishing exercise in creative yet faithful transcription. This release is both a tribute to the lyric genius which flowered in nineteenth and twentieth-century France, and a glimpse into the musical mind of a great pianist.