Alice Sara Ott plays Ravel

Program
Lili Boulanger D'un soir triste
Maurice Ravel Piano Concerto for the Left Hand
Ludwig van Beethoven Symphony No. 7

Conductor
Samuel Lee

Soloist
Alice Sara Ott

In recent years, pianist Alice Sara Ott's star has been on the rise. She records for the Deutsche Grammophon label and is receiving deserved attention for her refreshing and intriguing choice of projects. Here, Alice Sara tackles the unusual Piano Concerto for the Left Hand by Maurice Ravel, a moving piece of music that emerged from the conflicts of World War I, where pianist Paul Wittgenstein lost his right hand. After the war, he continued his service to music and commissioned numerous works for the left hand alone. However, none of them is as successful as this great concerto by Ravel, which is popular in concert halls around the world.

Beethoven's Symphony no. 7 is one of the most popular works of Western musical heritage and is a favourite symphony of many. The dramatic structure of the music has meant that it has found its way into numerous films, and the piece is one of those that always grows in people's minds with each listen.

However, the concert begins with a beautiful and introspective interpretation of French composer Lili Boulanger's D'un soir triste - or Of a Sad Evening - where we humans often look inward and open up to our own emotions.