Sir Stephen Hough is poised to return to Australia for a recital tour reflecting the breadth of his taste in music. In each performance he spans the introspection of Brahms and Schubert, the modernist experiments of Schoenberg and Stockhausen, and the playful exuberance of his own Mary Poppins Suite – a work recently showcased on his latest CD Piano Postcards, a Limelight Recording of the Month.

Stephen Hough. Photo © Sim Cannetty-Clarke

Hough’s Melbourne recital (on 28 October) will also test a new approach to concert accessibility, with tickets offered on a pay-what-you-can basis. The pianist says he is curious to discover how audiences respond to a model which may help remove a significant obstacle to participation.

“I hate the thought that someone would be put off attending a performance because of the price – I’m thinking especially of students,” he says.

But he acknowledges a potential complication: “When we pay nothing for something we tend to value it less … a quirk of human nature.”

Ticket prices are only one consideration in attracting audiences, however. Hough is also interested in how the concert experience itself might evolve. One key to a compelling recital experience lies in variety, he says. “Things usually settle into a pattern because that pattern works, not just because it’s traditional.”

“I’m always looking for variety and surprise, both in the way I play a piece and in how I construct a program. Nothing should ever be routine.”

While he believes the traditional recital format remains fundamentally sound, Hough does find himself questioning some of its conventions.

“I do find the interval annoying sometimes, both when attending and giving concerts,” he admits. “It just seems like a gap with no real function, and can take the wind out of the sails just as we’re getting going.”

Stephen Hough. Photo © Robert Torres

The juxtaposition of high modernism and familiar popular material is characteristic of a musician who resists drawing rigid distinctions between musical traditions. A memorable tune, he maintains, deserves consideration on its own merits, regardless of whether it was originally destined for a concert hall, a Broadway theatre or a film soundtrack.

“I don’t like to separate music into categories,” he says. “For me a good tune which is well constructed and memorable is of value whether it’s by Sherman or Schubert.”

The Sherman in question is Richard M Sherman, one half of the songwriting partnership responsible for Mary Poppins. Hough sees no contradiction in placing the brothers’ popular songs alongside the works of the classical canon.

“Great composers from Byrd to Brahms used popular material from their times,” he says. “Is West Side Story popular or classical? It’s both!”

Stephen Hough plays Melbourne Recital Centre, 28 October;  Capital Theatre, Bendigo (29 October): Elder Hall, Adelaide (31 October) and City Recital Hall, Sydney on 3 November.

Visit this link for tickets and more information.