Full throttle: finger crunching pianism at the QEH

By Mark Pullinger, 12 June 2015

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“As she left the platform, Ott checked her fingertips… I suspect for blood”

Reviewed at Queen Elizabeth Hall, London on 11 June 2015

Ravel, Boléro (arr. tristano for 2 pianos)

Debussy, 3 Nocturnes (transcr. Ravel for 2 pianos)

Ravel, La Valse

Tristano, A Soft Shell Groove Suite

Stravinsky, Le Sacre du printemps (The Rite of Spring) (for 2 pianos)

Alice Sara Ott, Piano

Francesco Tristano, Piano

Top drawer French music from Ott, Bloch and the LSO

Roy Westbrook, 27th November

Debussy and Ravel frame a performance of Lutosławski’s Concerto for Orchestra as Alexandre Bloch guests with the London Symphony Orchestra.

****1

Polished Ravel x 2 from Alice Sara Ott with the Chicago Symphony

Graham Meyer, 25th September

Three hands for two concertos: Alice Sara Ott joins the Chicago Symphony Orchestra for Ravel's Piano Concerto for the left hand and the Piano Concerto in G major.

****1

Alice Sara Ott's Field and Beethoven delights in Dublin

Andrew Larkin, 27th February

A fine and sensitive pianist, Alice Sara Ott captivates with Field Nocturnes and Beethoven sonatas at the National Concert Hall, Dublin.

****1

Karina Canellakis and Alice Sara Ott make memorable NY Phil debuts

Susan Stempleski, 4th April

The American conductor and German-Japanese pianist shine in a mostly meditative program of Webern, Strauss, Ravel and Scriabin.

****1

Alice Sara Ott and Elim Chan a dazzling duo in new Dessner concerto

Susannah Moody, 15th February

The UK premiere of Dessner's Piano Concerto is followed by a lavishly gorgeous account of Scheherazade.

****1

Pianistic delights in Liszt from Alice Sara Ott and the LSO

Alexander Hall, 4th October

A world premiere from Hannah Kendall, a rarely performed work by Liszt and one of Strauss' glittering tone poems make up Pappano's first concert as the LSO's Chief Conductor Designate.

***11

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Mark Pullinger

Mark has been a Bachtrack editor since 2014. He is also an experienced critic, writing hundreds of reviews for the site, as well as a freelancer writing for other magazines and newspapers. He also writes programme notes and blogs on Substack. Mark has a particular passion for the operas of Verdi as well as Russian and French repertoire. Outside the concert hall and opera house, Mark enjoys cooking and travel and is probably at his happiest let loose in a French patisserie or a Viennese coffee house.

Full throttle: finger crunching pianism from Alice Sara Ott and Francesco Tristano at the QEH