Composer: Edvard Hagerup Grieg
Performer: Alice Sara Ott
Orchestra: Symphonie-Orchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks
Conductor: Esa-Pekka Salonen
Format: FLAC (tracks)
Label: Deutsche Grammophon
Catalogue: 4794631
Release: 2016
Size: 595 MB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes
Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 16
01. I. Allegro molto moderato
02. II. Adagio
03. III. Allegro moderato molto e marcato
Lyric Pieces X, Op. 71
04. No. 1 Once Upon A Time
Lyric Pieces III, Op. 43
05. No. 1 Butterfly
Lyric Pieces I, Op. 12
06. No. 7 Album Leaf
Peer Gynt Suite No. 2, Op. 55
07. IV. Solveig’s Song
Lyric Pieces I, Op. 12
08. No. 4 Elves’ Dance
Lyric Pieces III, Op. 43
09. No. 6 To Spring
Lyric Pieces V, Op. 54
10. No. 3 March Of The Trolls
11. No. 4 Notturno
Lyric Pieces VII, Op. 62
12. No. 4 Brooklet
Peer Gynt Suite No. 1, Op. 46
13. IV. In The Hall Of The Mountain King
Lyric Pieces VIII, Op. 65
14. No. 5 Ballad
15. No. 6 Wedding Day At Troldhaugen
Alice Sara Ott gives a strong-centred account with plenty of power and flair; and she is much blessed to have as her companions the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, sounding fabulous under Esa-Pekka Salonen with radiant tone and the textures shimmering with detail…[but] despite many fine qualities, a little more wit and sparkle wouldn’t hurt.
The concerto may sound small-scale to anyone who thinks of this as a big romantic warhorse; it is elegantly phrased by Ott and conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen…in the miniatures there’s a very present quality to both Ott’s playing and the recorded sound…Wedding Day at Troldhaugen comes with a witty scramble to get to the church on time.
The Wonderland in the title of this release by the young pianist Alice Sara Ott is merely the music of Grieg, well-worn favorites of which are sampled here. To add to the sum total of interpretive knowledge for the Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 16, is a tall order, but Ott delivers here in a live performance with the Bavarian Radio Symphony under the baton of Esa-Pekka Salonen. From her brilliant first note, her reading is a series of sharp markers filled in with liquid, lyrical episodes. The whole thing is carefully shaped, yet has the essential energy of live performance. In the short selections from the various books of Lyric Pieces and from the Peer Gynt Suite Ott is a little more conservative, but her gossamer, web-like technique in lyrical passages is never less than enjoyable to hear. There are reasons for the buzz surrounding this young artist, and this well-recorded program is an excellent place to start exploring what those reasons are.