Royal Liverpool Philharmonic in Paris

Ralph Vaughan Williams: Overture “The Wasps”
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Piano Concerto #23, K. 488
Piotr Ilyitch Tchaikovsky: Manfred Symphony, Op. 58
Hélène Grimaud, piano
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra/Vasily Petrenko
Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, Paris, 26 March 2011

The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra under their chief conductor Vasily Petrenko appeared in Paris for a single concert that, according to the program notes, aimed to contrast classical harmony with the often unbridled expressivity of romantic music. Although the works chosen (Mozart’s Concerto for piano #23 and Tchaikovsky’s Manfred Symphony) are indeed foremost representatives of each genre, in practice the differences turned out to be less pronounced as was intended.
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Alice Sara Ott Plays Liszt

Franz Liszt: Piano Concerto #1, Totentanz Paraphrase on “Dies Irae”
Johannes Brahms: Symphony #1
Alice Sara Ott, piano
Vienna Symphony Orchestra/Adam Fischer
Kölner Philharmonie, Cologne, Germany, 12 March 2011

Commemorative years for composers are no longer news, yet in the case of Franz Liszt (1811-1886) the extra attention coming from concerts and broadcasts worldwide, CDs and downloads seems especially welcome. After all, man and music remain generally little appreciated, even less understood. The tags of empty virtuosic display or romantic wish-wash are still branded on the majority of Liszt’s output and his reputation as pianistic showman continues to overshadow his groundbreaking achievements in the 19th century music field. That a young artist like Alice Sara Ott tells us a different story, placing Liszt in an altogether more propitious light, is therefore all the more remarkable.
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