I can’t help the feeling that Deutsche Grammophon have
been keeping their young new signing Alice Sara Ott from us.
For reasons best known to themselves,
the label released this, her debut disc, in a number of countries in 2008, but
held back in the UK until she had a second recording under her belt - of Chopin
waltzes (DG 00289 477 8095). The double-whammy debut approach seems to have backfired
a little, with many critics finding the Chopin too dry and emotionless and then
projecting those criticisms, albeit in a milder form, onto the Liszt.
But whatever the machinations by which this CD has reached us, it is a remarkable
debut. Let’s not forget that the idea of a young pianist debuting on DG
at all is a fairly recent innovation; it wasn’t long ago that their roster
was made up exclusively of senior figures of piano royalty. And this newfound
spirit of innovation stretches to the repertoire too. Most pianists’ debut
discs consist of a mixed programme, where the major work is almost invariably
Rachmaninov. Liszt’s Transcendental Etudes are a daring choice from
a number of perspectives. In terms of technical difficulty, they trump pretty
much anything by Rachmaninov. They also call for more interpretive input from
the pianist, more poetry, more ... well, in a word, transcendence.
Listening to the disc, I can understand why some have found Ott’s Chopin
wanting. Her technical skill is mind-blowing, and it is clear that control is
a fundamental dimension to her pianistic persona. Her fingers are always in the
right place at the right time, and her touch is both evenly graduated and crystal
clear. Personally, I consider all these attributes to be sterling pianistic virtues,
but I can understand how Chopin could sound sterile to some ears when played
like this.
Liszt is a different story. His poetry is more intrinsic, more integral to his
virtuosic demands. In fact, the Transcendental Etudes are a very sensible
choice for introducing a pianist to the world stage. They amount to a compendium
of the moods, textures and styles current in the early history of the modern
piano. Surprisingly, perhaps, given her delicate frame, Ott excels in the louder,
heavier movements, the Preludio no.1,
for example, and Mazeppa no.4. There is a sheer physical force behind
her playing in these movements, which when combined with her technical precision
make for an aurally arresting effect. And her confidence belies her age - she
was 18/19 when this was recorded - holding back in the build-up
to the main Mazeppa theme in a way that speaks of a deep trust in her
own musical instincts. She has an elegant legato, even in chronically note-heavy
passages such as in the opening of Feux
follets, where she finds a lightness that few of her seniors
could match.
The control that makes the dramatic passages work can turn into undue restraint
in the quieter ones. No. 3 Paysage has all the clarity and translucence
of its more rowdy neighbours, but the precision of the phrasing and dynamic shaping
make the result a little foursquare. And
again with the 9th Ricordanza, its evenly arpeggiated opening
chords speak of immaculate precision, but also of a reluctance to let go and
allow the music to sing.
The last etude Chasse-neige is the exception among the quieter numbers.
The clarity with which the legato melody is articulated across the top of the
complex accompaniment is ideal. It is a great way to close both the set and the
recording. Liszt balances his technical and lyrical demands in a way that elegantly
brings t culmination a set that has veered between the two. And that middle ground
between the dramatic and the intimate is exactly where Ott excels, her even touch,
precisely graduated dynamics and fluid legato, all supported by some real muscle
in the left-hand bass. As I mentioned, her second disc has met with mixed reviews,
but her third is going to include
Liszt’s 1st Concerto, and if she plays it like this, it could
be something really special.
Gavin Dixon
Alice Sara Ott (piano)
