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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I used mostly my ears 