The Great All-rounder
Before we begin, Stephen Hough pops into a nearby pharmacy to deliver his latest Covid test for travel.
As he contemplates his imminent 60th birthday – on St Cecilia’s Day, 22 November – this most celebrated and well-loved of British pianists is among countless musicians adjusting to a different and not particularly welcome way of life; like all of us, only more so.
If we’ve missed attending live music, just think how musicians felt. Settling down over a coffee, Hough says he has managed to make the most of things. ‘I’ve practised more in the last 18 months than in the past 30 years, because I’ve had the time,’ he says. ‘People often don’t realise that when you’re travelling and playing, actual practice time is rare. When you arrive in a city, it’s more important, as Alfred Cortot said, that you have good sleep and good digestion than that you practise. He’s right – when you leave for the airport the music should be totally in your fingers and your brain. For the concert you should feel fresh in yourself and fresh with the music. But this last year, I’ve been working every day.’
Hough has a studio near his home in north
