Stephen Hough is on superlative form on this exceptionally fine disc. Schumann's Fantasy, one of the masterpieces of early Romanticism, is far from easy to bring off, technically and - even more - interpretatively, not least the magnificent yet elusive opening movement, but Hough's sense of both large-scale form and intimate detail is unerring. The huge spread of the scherzo's chords has no terrors for him, and the adagio's deep communings are beautifully realised. No less satisfying is his account of the Davidsbündler dances, that subtle monument to Schumann's rhythmic and harmonic originality; the pianist's rubato, never overdone, is a continual pleasure, and rich justice is done to this composite portrait of the composer's two-sided personality. Curiously, Hough omits the da capo in the 11th