Alice Sara Ott. Rock on.
“By her videos, Alice doesn't collect classical music lovers! Alice collects girls lovers!”— Mario DiSarli, unhappy classical music lover on Ott's performance.
Alice Sara Ott’s performance of Beethoven’s Piano concerto No.3 is dazzling. Like the genius composer himself, she wasn't scared by authority or social rank. Nor did the audience exhibit any boredom, as Beethoven sometimes encountered and pouted about, according to classicfm.com.
As everyone knows, Beethoven was unconventional, and especially his Symphony No. 5 in C minor (YouTube video here).
In fact, Archduke Rudolph Rainier, Beethoven’s greatest patron, protected the rebel. He decreed that court etiquette should not, must not, weigh down the genius of Ludwig van Beethoven.7 Who among us, and especially in those hallowed halls of yore, has merited, or could have fathomed, a gold-vinyl recording of excellence racing to the stars?
But while Beethoven's symphonies are hard to miss, his other works are not. Many may rock to his Symphony No. 5, and the diehards will forever rave about his hard-rocking seventh, or the ghostly Symphony No. 9, that stunning, complicated work of Germanic pride. But a piano concerto?
“The most soulful of all Beethoven’s music is arguably found in
his piano concertos,” said classicfm.com. “If you need any proof, listen to the middle
movement of either his Piano Concerto No.1 or of this, his Piano
Concerto No. 3. There’s a beauty and elegance here that truly
confirms Beethoven’s status as the one composer who quickened the
pace of change in classical music by welcoming in the Romantic era
that was to follow.”
And yet, as in Beethoven's hard-hitting fifth symphony, especially in the first movement, there's more fire than anything else. Including this piano concerto, at least as performed by the Radio France Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Mikko Franck. Just listen (and be sure to crank up the volume). Mozart sought this loud, thundering, and drum-prompted sound too.
He even wrote his father about it. After hearing a similar orchestral performance, he pined away about it. And much like a child who'd watched a neighbor ride around on his fancy, new bicycle, he wanted one too,1 which he arguably “gifted” himself in June, July, and August of 1788 in his combined three symphonies: 39, 40, nd 41.
In April 1787, Beethoven came from Bonn to study with Mozart, and the teenager did not come empty-handed — he had a letter of recommendation from an influential friend. But Mozart was ill and had little patience for yet another student. But Beethoven impressed him, and according to classicfm.com, Mozart raced from the music room to tell his wife that the composer's style would be giving the world something to talk about (note: some consider this a myth).
But what does it take to master the piano like Alice Sara Ott? Beethoven had mastery of the piano, that is for sure, and brought along his own musical compositions as well. But what about the rest of us? An early start helps, and 10,000 hours of practice, said Nicolas Cole. Ten thousand hours, though, comes with consistent, diligent practice, or about ten years of really hard work. (Or, for the more optimistic, eight years of really hard work.) One “pundit” even questioned the 10,000 hours. “Such a nice round number is unlikely to be rooted in hard science,” said Scottmcc. “I'd be much more willing to believe something like 9832 hours.”
Cole said he practiced for 10,000 hours and quit. The would-be pianist became a writer. “I had an incredibly talented teacher,” he said. “I grew up practicing on a very expensive instrument. I had every resource under the sun to succeed, and even after a full decade I was nowhere near the point of mastery.”
So what does it take to master the piano? Talent, hard work, and luck, no doubt. But Alice Sara Ott need not worry about losing her job, nor any of the other concert pianists who thrill listeners with their performances. They've got it down — conductors and orchestra members too.
Even something as ephemeral as mood contributes, and musicians will often mention how performances can vary, including Ott. While some performances are better than others, few hit the mark. Rarely, are “Great Performances” great. That's what makes the performance shared here so special. Things can be less than perfect on the concert stage.
Beethoven's father was an alcoholic musician who beat music into his son, waking the little boy at 4 in the morning to practice, smacking him if he made a mistake. As a toddler, Beethoven adored his grandfather, who was the music director at the court in Bonn, but grandpa died when he was three, setting in stone Beethoven's habit of idealizing the unattainable.2
Mozart's father bullied his son too. And while Leopold was a passive-aggressive bully, who endlessly shamed his son,3 both boys spent hours and hours at a fortepiano, the piano of the day when the boys were little.
Mozart didn't really need smacking, though, to play music. Leopold couldn't stop him. But Mozart did have a problem with mood swings, and he lashed out at others unless he was fully immersed in music. The child got rid of his pent up energy not by playing games, but by playing music. Whenever he had a temper tantrum, Leopold sat him down at the piano with a challenging piece of music, which he loved.
Collin Robertson reported this behavior in “The True Secret Behind Mozart's Genius,” as have many others in their creative explorations of Mozart's music.
Robertson also reported that when given a challenging piece of music, the young Mozart played it over and over until he finally got it right, often adding his own touch to his mastery. In fact, Mozart, did this all the time. The master musician wrote his first documented composition, a Minuet and Trio in G major, when he was just five years old.
But what the classical era titans had most in common, other than ushering in the romantic era, which Beethoven's music, especially, is seen as doing for the coming era, was their damn-the-torpedoes’ approach to creativity.
Beethoven, for example, could be a difficult and unsociable man, often bitter and isolated by his deafness, which developed in his twenties.4 He could be brazen to the point of rudeness, especially as a young man, and he was never willing to conform, which only got worse as his deafness progressed.5 He did not really care what people thought of him.
And Mozart, too, wanted to have it his way, finally breaking with his father after the Archbishop of Salzburg literally (according to Mozart) kicked his behind, and pushed him out of the job. Why? Because the composer demanded his own creative space and room to grow.1
Is this the other piece of the puzzle? Telling others where to go, or simply not caring what they think? Is the old cliche true? Damn the torpedoes, and full steam ahead? And what about the critics? Surely they'll find something to say, something to fault.
Beethoven's piano concertos can be dull and boring, according to a blogger who has burned the composer's symphonies into his brain. But this performance by the Radio France Philharmonic Orchestra is alive and full of emotional energy. Like many, truly great performances, there is a chemistry between the participants, including the audience.
The YouTube video shared at the beginning of this post is emotionally raw, and especially Ott's performance, who, when asked what single thing would improve the format of the classical concert? Replied, “To get rid of etiquettes and dress codes.” She certainly accomplished that objective in her performance of Beethoven’s Piano concerto No.3. But the performance is not without its critics. Ott's performance wasn't perfect, but her finesse and sophistication will only improve with age. And it is unlikely she will perform barefoot in her fifties.
Many probably haven't noticed she played barefoot. But, for those who have, and object, take comfort in knowing there's a professional reason: better pedal control. But Alice Sara Ott also likes the cool feel of the piano pedals on her feet. She even feels chills, she told the Ottawa Citizen. But it's really about how she learned to play the piano. And simply, who cares? Not those who seek genius, nor anyone else who wants a glimpse of the real journey.
The Ottawa Citizen asked directly about this tendency, and Ott said she loved shoes, but, “... I just don't wear them on stage. I'm always barefoot at home, and that’s how I feel most comfortable. That’s why I do it on stage as well. Also, when you have the spotlights on you, it gets really hot on stage so it’s actually nice to feel the cool pedals.”
There are 2,773 comments and counting on the YouTube page where Alice Sara Ott performs Beethoven’s Piano concerto No.3. Not all are happy. Vincent Lombardo said that the Adagio is vaudeville, self-indulgent. Thus, “...please refer to any of the known artists as: Horowitz, Brendel, Zimmermann, Rubenstein, Serkin,” Lombardo said, “... and listen to the first bars of the pianoforte — justifiably stentorian (a loud, powerful voice), as was the ‘ecstacy’ of Beethoven. That is enough. Cannot bear to ever watch this again.”
It is difficult to know what Lombardo is referring to, and this Blog has requested clarification, especially given “adagio” is a directive on a musical score, which tells performers to slow the tempo. Is the second movement of this performance Vaudevillian? Or perhaps the entire performance is suspect?
Mario DiSarli, who replied “Bravo! Bravo! Bravo!” to Lombardo's comment shared above “
“Do you know,” DiSarli wrote in reply to a post on Ott's YouTube page by a Blogger, “that YouTube classic lovers can find this Beethoven Concerto performed by world famous pianists: Martha Argerich, Mitsuko Uchida, Evgeny Kissin, Christian Zimerman, Vladimir Ashkenazi, Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli?!
“Alice Sarah Ott's video alone has 3.6 million calls! Do you
really think that Alice's ‘pianistic art’ is more accomplished
than the pianistic art of the greatest pianists mentioned above?!
This ‘phenomenon’ has one simple reason: By her videos, Alice
doesn't collect classical music lovers! Alice collects ‘girls
lovers’!”
Perhaps, but it doesn't negate the fact that this is a brilliant performance. Even the writers at classicfm have found Ott to be brilliant. The argument is mute, though. Who cares?
John N. Burk said Mozart's Fantasia for Piano in C minor, and Piano Sonata in C minor, like no other combination in Mozart's repertoire, pointed the way to Beethoven (good example here). It proved that had Mozart lived only a few years longer, he could have become a very different composer, and even an artistic companion of Beethoven.6
Beethoven studied with Franz Joseph Haydn after Mozart died, not only because he was a revered composer and teacher in Vienna, but according to one source, because Beethoven wanted to be close to Mozart's influences. Beethoven bridged the Classic and Romantic Era. He helped open music to a world of creative growth. Both men, but especially Beethoven, sparked modern-day rock and roll. Beethoven took Mozart with him wherever he went musically.
Just like Alice Sara Ott took Beethoven with her. Rock on.
Footnotes:
1 Spaethling, Robert. Mozart Letters, Mozart’s Life. W.W. Norton & Company (2000). New York and London.
2 Padel, Ruth. Beethoven's 250th anniversary: a whole lotta Ludwig in an epic year of events; As the composer's birth 250 years ago is marked, his biographer Ruth Padel explains how his thwarted passions fired music we need more than ever. The Times, January 3, 2020.
3 Greenberg, Robert. Mozart — His Life and Music. The Teaching Company.
4 The British Library. Ludwig van Beethoven. Online Gallery.
5 Tarantino, Todd. Beethoven as a Person.
6 Burk, John N. Mozart and His Music. Random House (1959). New York, pp. 375-376.
7 Original link deactivated: questia.com/archduke-rudolph-beethoven-patron-and-parnassian.
And yet, as in Beethoven's hard-hitting fifth symphony, especially in the first movement, there's more fire than anything else. Including this piano concerto, at least as performed by the Radio France Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Mikko Franck. Just listen (and be sure to crank up the volume). Mozart sought this loud, thundering, and drum-prompted sound too.
He even wrote his father about it. After hearing a similar orchestral performance, he pined away about it. And much like a child who'd watched a neighbor ride around on his fancy, new bicycle, he wanted one too,1 which he arguably “gifted” himself in June, July, and August of 1788 in his combined three symphonies: 39, 40, nd 41.
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In April 1787, Beethoven came from Bonn to study with Mozart, and the teenager did not come empty-handed — he had a letter of recommendation from an influential friend. But Mozart was ill and had little patience for yet another student. But Beethoven impressed him, and according to classicfm.com, Mozart raced from the music room to tell his wife that the composer's style would be giving the world something to talk about (note: some consider this a myth).
But what does it take to master the piano like Alice Sara Ott? Beethoven had mastery of the piano, that is for sure, and brought along his own musical compositions as well. But what about the rest of us? An early start helps, and 10,000 hours of practice, said Nicolas Cole. Ten thousand hours, though, comes with consistent, diligent practice, or about ten years of really hard work. (Or, for the more optimistic, eight years of really hard work.) One “pundit” even questioned the 10,000 hours. “Such a nice round number is unlikely to be rooted in hard science,” said Scottmcc. “I'd be much more willing to believe something like 9832 hours.”
Cole said he practiced for 10,000 hours and quit. The would-be pianist became a writer. “I had an incredibly talented teacher,” he said. “I grew up practicing on a very expensive instrument. I had every resource under the sun to succeed, and even after a full decade I was nowhere near the point of mastery.”
So what does it take to master the piano? Talent, hard work, and luck, no doubt. But Alice Sara Ott need not worry about losing her job, nor any of the other concert pianists who thrill listeners with their performances. They've got it down — conductors and orchestra members too.
Even something as ephemeral as mood contributes, and musicians will often mention how performances can vary, including Ott. While some performances are better than others, few hit the mark. Rarely, are “Great Performances” great. That's what makes the performance shared here so special. Things can be less than perfect on the concert stage.
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Beethoven's father was an alcoholic musician who beat music into his son, waking the little boy at 4 in the morning to practice, smacking him if he made a mistake. As a toddler, Beethoven adored his grandfather, who was the music director at the court in Bonn, but grandpa died when he was three, setting in stone Beethoven's habit of idealizing the unattainable.2
Mozart's father bullied his son too. And while Leopold was a passive-aggressive bully, who endlessly shamed his son,3 both boys spent hours and hours at a fortepiano, the piano of the day when the boys were little.
Mozart didn't really need smacking, though, to play music. Leopold couldn't stop him. But Mozart did have a problem with mood swings, and he lashed out at others unless he was fully immersed in music. The child got rid of his pent up energy not by playing games, but by playing music. Whenever he had a temper tantrum, Leopold sat him down at the piano with a challenging piece of music, which he loved.
|
|
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Collin Robertson reported this behavior in “The True Secret Behind Mozart's Genius,” as have many others in their creative explorations of Mozart's music.
Robertson also reported that when given a challenging piece of music, the young Mozart played it over and over until he finally got it right, often adding his own touch to his mastery. In fact, Mozart, did this all the time. The master musician wrote his first documented composition, a Minuet and Trio in G major, when he was just five years old.
But what the classical era titans had most in common, other than ushering in the romantic era, which Beethoven's music, especially, is seen as doing for the coming era, was their damn-the-torpedoes’ approach to creativity.
Beethoven, for example, could be a difficult and unsociable man, often bitter and isolated by his deafness, which developed in his twenties.4 He could be brazen to the point of rudeness, especially as a young man, and he was never willing to conform, which only got worse as his deafness progressed.5 He did not really care what people thought of him.
And Mozart, too, wanted to have it his way, finally breaking with his father after the Archbishop of Salzburg literally (according to Mozart) kicked his behind, and pushed him out of the job. Why? Because the composer demanded his own creative space and room to grow.1
Is this the other piece of the puzzle? Telling others where to go, or simply not caring what they think? Is the old cliche true? Damn the torpedoes, and full steam ahead? And what about the critics? Surely they'll find something to say, something to fault.
Beethoven's piano concertos can be dull and boring, according to a blogger who has burned the composer's symphonies into his brain. But this performance by the Radio France Philharmonic Orchestra is alive and full of emotional energy. Like many, truly great performances, there is a chemistry between the participants, including the audience.
The YouTube video shared at the beginning of this post is emotionally raw, and especially Ott's performance, who, when asked what single thing would improve the format of the classical concert? Replied, “To get rid of etiquettes and dress codes.” She certainly accomplished that objective in her performance of Beethoven’s Piano concerto No.3. But the performance is not without its critics. Ott's performance wasn't perfect, but her finesse and sophistication will only improve with age. And it is unlikely she will perform barefoot in her fifties.
|
|
|
Many probably haven't noticed she played barefoot. But, for those who have, and object, take comfort in knowing there's a professional reason: better pedal control. But Alice Sara Ott also likes the cool feel of the piano pedals on her feet. She even feels chills, she told the Ottawa Citizen. But it's really about how she learned to play the piano. And simply, who cares? Not those who seek genius, nor anyone else who wants a glimpse of the real journey.
The Ottawa Citizen asked directly about this tendency, and Ott said she loved shoes, but, “... I just don't wear them on stage. I'm always barefoot at home, and that’s how I feel most comfortable. That’s why I do it on stage as well. Also, when you have the spotlights on you, it gets really hot on stage so it’s actually nice to feel the cool pedals.”
There are 2,773 comments and counting on the YouTube page where Alice Sara Ott performs Beethoven’s Piano concerto No.3. Not all are happy. Vincent Lombardo said that the Adagio is vaudeville, self-indulgent. Thus, “...please refer to any of the known artists as: Horowitz, Brendel, Zimmermann, Rubenstein, Serkin,” Lombardo said, “... and listen to the first bars of the pianoforte — justifiably stentorian (a loud, powerful voice), as was the ‘ecstacy’ of Beethoven. That is enough. Cannot bear to ever watch this again.”
It is difficult to know what Lombardo is referring to, and this Blog has requested clarification, especially given “adagio” is a directive on a musical score, which tells performers to slow the tempo. Is the second movement of this performance Vaudevillian? Or perhaps the entire performance is suspect?
Mario DiSarli, who replied “Bravo! Bravo! Bravo!” to Lombardo's comment shared above “
“Do you know,” DiSarli wrote in reply to a post on Ott's YouTube page by a Blogger, “that YouTube classic lovers can find this Beethoven Concerto performed by world famous pianists: Martha Argerich, Mitsuko Uchida, Evgeny Kissin, Christian Zimerman, Vladimir Ashkenazi, Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli?!
Perhaps, but it doesn't negate the fact that this is a brilliant performance. Even the writers at classicfm have found Ott to be brilliant. The argument is mute, though. Who cares?
John N. Burk said Mozart's Fantasia for Piano in C minor, and Piano Sonata in C minor, like no other combination in Mozart's repertoire, pointed the way to Beethoven (good example here). It proved that had Mozart lived only a few years longer, he could have become a very different composer, and even an artistic companion of Beethoven.6
Beethoven studied with Franz Joseph Haydn after Mozart died, not only because he was a revered composer and teacher in Vienna, but according to one source, because Beethoven wanted to be close to Mozart's influences. Beethoven bridged the Classic and Romantic Era. He helped open music to a world of creative growth. Both men, but especially Beethoven, sparked modern-day rock and roll. Beethoven took Mozart with him wherever he went musically.
Just like Alice Sara Ott took Beethoven with her. Rock on.
Footnotes:
1 Spaethling, Robert. Mozart Letters, Mozart’s Life. W.W. Norton & Company (2000). New York and London.
2 Padel, Ruth. Beethoven's 250th anniversary: a whole lotta Ludwig in an epic year of events; As the composer's birth 250 years ago is marked, his biographer Ruth Padel explains how his thwarted passions fired music we need more than ever. The Times, January 3, 2020.
3 Greenberg, Robert. Mozart — His Life and Music. The Teaching Company.
4 The British Library. Ludwig van Beethoven. Online Gallery.
5 Tarantino, Todd. Beethoven as a Person.
6 Burk, John N. Mozart and His Music. Random House (1959). New York, pp. 375-376.
7 Original link deactivated: questia.com/archduke-rudolph-beethoven-patron-and-parnassian.
posted by C. DeForest Switzer | 5:32 PM
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