{"product_id":"rough-ideas-reflections-on-music-and-more-9781250785732","title":"Rough Ideas: Reflections on Music and More","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA collection of essays on music and life by the famed classical pianist and composer\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eStephen Hough is one of the world's leading pianists, winning global acclaim and numerous awards, both for his concerts and his recordings. He is also a writer, composer, and painter, and has been described by \u003ci\u003eThe Economist\u003c\/i\u003e as one of \"Twenty Living Polymaths.\" \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eHough writes informally and engagingly about music and the life of a musician, from the broader aspects of what it is to walk out onto a stage or to make a recording, to specialist tips from deep inside the practice room: how to trill, how to pedal, how to practice. He also writes vividly about people he's known, places he's traveled to, books he's read, paintings he's seen; and he 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 challenges involved in being a gay Catholic. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ci\u003eRough Ideas \u003c\/i\u003eis an illuminating, constantly surprising introduction to the life and mind of one of our great cultural figures.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eHough, Stephen:\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e - \u003cb\u003eStephen Hough\u003c\/b\u003e, one of the most distinctive artists of his generation, performs with the world's major orchestras and in recital at the most prestigious concert halls. He has made more than sixty CD recordings and has composed works ranging from solo piano to orchestral. As an author, he has written articles for \u003ci\u003eThe Guardian \u003c\/i\u003eand\u003ci\u003e The Times \u003c\/i\u003e(London), and he wrote a blog for \u003ci\u003eThe Telegraph\u003c\/i\u003e for seven years. His first novel, \u003ci\u003eThe Final Retreat\u003c\/i\u003e, was published in 2018.","brand":"Picador USA","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50510749106450,"sku":"9781250785732","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_c7924d68-7bf8-454d-95ed-b24440e1cef2.jpg?v=1730933427","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/rough-ideas-reflections-on-music-and-more-9781250785732","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}