Ravel "Pavane pour une infante défunte" by Alice Sara Ott

[@Nicolas-xb8zv]

The rhythm and the dynamic gradation of her rendition make bloom all the emotion, the grace and the poetic beauty of the masterpiece.

[@lewashcliffe]

She is so deeply emotionally invested in this performance, even to the point of tears. She is a beautiful being!

[@iancochrane9588]

This is my personal favorite piano piece by Ravel. Played with such elegance, grace and poise by Alice Sara Ott. Love it!

[@emilyj8]

I watch this when I need a good, cathartic cry. Such a beautiful performance of a beautiful piece of music.

[@guycoutu3188]

It is the most extraordinary and emotional interpretation of this piece that I know. To cry in front of so much beauty!

[@sx99cornell]

that was about the time she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, I think this is a piece that she could really relate herself to, it's a pavane for an unfortunate princess

[@peterpolgar8982]

Best ever performance - incredible depths and emotions! I love her play, it always moves me. Phenomenal...

[@danielboyer4799]

Je n'avais jamais entendue une interprétation aussi ressentie de ma pièce favorite de Maurice Ravel ! Beau à pleurer !!

[@jamesdougall2886]

absolutely masterful. This woman is the embodiment of feminine energy in musical form. Her poise, grace and beauty are exceptional, all conveyed by her playing to the last detail. A blessing from God, truly.

[@thomasthompson6378]

I am very nearly persuaded that there simply could not be a finer performance than this one. Congratulations to Alice Sara Ott on a superlative rendition of this most beautiful music.

[@wisjoh1]

Love this piece , so beautiful .. she did make me cry .... ❤😂

[@Ugk871]

Beautiful music. Thank you Sara for giving this interpretation. Such an honour to listen it 😭

[@shin-i-chikozima]

Her playing is like drops of effulgent moon dripping down . Every time I listen to her performance , I get wistful and feel sad . From chaotic and invincible Tokyo of the Land of Rising Sun

[@victorthierry7153]

Well done!!! Steady pavane tempo, beautifully balanced impressionistic harmony, not overly dominated by the left hand. The music just flows and lingers. Ravel would be proud of such an authentic interpretation with great contextual honesty. It must have taken much self discipline not to let one's virtuosity over shadow the music itself. That's a sign of a great artist in a great performance. Congrats, Miss Ott.

[@georgescancan7503]

@t @t Yes, Mr! “She is the most photogenic of players: young, pretty, bare-footed; and, with her long dark hair and exquisite strapless dress of dazzling white, not only seemed to imply that sexuality itself can make you a profound musician, but was a perfect visual complement to the sleek monochrome of a concert grand... [but] there’s more to her than meets the eye.” ALEXANDER BOOT Author, critic, polemicist Blogs > Alexander's blog > Submitted by Alexander on 24 June 2013 - 12:59pm The other day I listened to something or other on KZbin, and a link to Chopin’s Fourth Ballade performed by the Georgian pianist Khatia Buniatishvili came up. The link was accompanied by a close-up publicity photo of the musician: sloe bedroom eyes, sensual semi-open lips suggesting a delight that’s still illegal in Alabama, naked shoulders hinting at the similarly nude rest of her body regrettably out of shot… Let me see where my wife is… Good, she isn’t looking over my shoulder, so I can admit to you that the picture got me excited in ways one doesn’t normally associate with Chopin’s Fourth Ballade or for that matter any other classical composition this side of Wagner or perhaps Ravel’s Bolero. Searching for a more traditional musical rapture I clicked on the actual clip and alas found it anticlimactic, as it were. Khatia’s playing, though competent, is as undeniably so-what as her voluptuous figure undeniably isn’t. (Yes, I know the photograph I mentioned doesn’t show much of her figure apart from the luscious shoulders but, the prurient side of my nature piqued, I did a bit of a web crawl.) Just for the hell of it I looked at the publicity shots of other currently active female musicians, such as Yuja Wang, Joanna MacGregor, Nicola Bendetti, Alison Balsom (nicknamed ‘crumpet with a trumpet’, her promos more often suggest ‘a strumpet with a trumpet’ instead), Anne-Sophie Mutter and a few others. They didn’t disappoint the Peeping Tom lurking under my aging surface. Just about all the photographs showed the ladies in various stages of undress, in bed, lying in suggestive poses on top of the piano, playing in frocks (if any) open to the coccyx in the back and/or to the navel up front. This is one thing these musicians have in common. The other is that none of them is all that good at her day job and some, such as Wang, are truly awful. Yet this doesn’t really matter either to them or to the public or, most important, to those who form the public tastes by writing about music and musicians. Thus, for example, a tabloid pundit expressing his heartfelt regret that Nicola Benedetti “won’t be posing for the lads’ mags anytime soon. Pity, because she looks fit as a fiddle…” Geddit? She’s a violinist, which is to say fiddler - well, you do get it. “But Nicola doesn’t always take the bonniest photo,” continues the writer, “she’s beaky in pics sometimes, which is weird because in the flesh she’s an absolute knock-out. “The classical musician is wearing skinny jeans which show off her long legs. She’s also busty with a washboard flat tummy, tottering around 5ft 10in in her Dune platform wedges.” How well does she play the violin though? No one cares. Not even critics writing for our broadsheets, who don’t mind talking about musicians in terms normally reserved for pole dancers. Thus for instance runs a review of a piano recital at Queen Elizabeth Hall, one of London’s top concert venues: “She is the most photogenic of players: young, pretty, bare-footed; and, with her long dark hair and exquisite strapless dress of dazzling white, not only seemed to imply that sexuality itself can make you a profound musician, but was a perfect visual complement to the sleek monochrome of a concert grand... [but] there’s more to her than meets the eye.” The male reader is clearly expected to get a stiffie trying to imagine what that might be. To help his imagination along, the piece is accompanied by a photo of the young lady in question reclining on her instrument in a pre-coital position with an unmistakable ‘come and get it’ expression on her face. The ‘monochrome’ piano is actually bright-red, a colour usually found not in concert halls but in dens of iniquity. Nowhere does the review mention the fact obvious to anyone with any taste for musical performance: the girl is so bad that she should indeed be playing in a brothel, rather than on the concert platform. Can you, in the wildest flight of fancy, imagine a reviewer talking in such terms about sublime women artists of the past, such as Myra Hess, Maria Yudina, Maria Grinberg, Clara Haskil, Marcelle Meyer, Marguerite Long, Kathleen Ferrier? Can you see any of them allowing themselves to be photographed in the style of “lads’ mags”? I can’t, which raises the inevitable question: what exactly has changed in the last say 70 years? The short answer is, just about everything. Concert organisers and impresarios, who used to be in the business because they loved music first and wanted to make a living second, now care about nothing but money. Critics, who used to have discernment and taste, now have nothing but greed and lust for popularity. The public… well, don’t get me started on that. The circle is vicious: because tasteless ignoramuses use every available medium to build up musical nonentities, nonentities is all we get. And because the musical nonentities have no artistic qualities to write about, the writing nonentities have to concentrate on the more jutting attractions, using a vocabulary typically found in “lads’ mags”. The adage “sex sells” used to be applied first to B-movies, then to B-novels, and now to real music. From “sex sells” it’s but a short distance to “only sex sells”. This distance has already been travelled - and we are all being sold short. Alexander's blog

[@PINKALIMBA]

This is very pleasant, serene experience to my ear! Normally I put on classical music as background music, I will turn it off later on as it gradually turns out to be some sort of "noise" for me to do my work. But this, I hit the reply button continuously! When the music finished, I couldn't help but thought "what have I just heard?!?! I gotta listen to it again!! "

[@karstenschulze8843]

This is the most graceful, empathetic, emotional and poignant piano performance I've ever seen and heard. Alice Sara Ott really lives and feels this music while she conjures this wonderful work of art out of the instrument. I'm totally touched and enchanted in showers of goosebumps and tears. Music can mean so much. ❤

[@wonmin9932]

Какое замечательное выступление. Я был впечатлен❤

[@jsguitargeek1432]

My mother was a piano-major @AgnesScott Uni in the late '40s - she came down with MS in the late 50's. :-( But today's medical treatments are vastly superior to the mid-1900's. My heart goes out to her.......

[@carlocontestabileciaccio5941]

Thank you my dear Sara. Thank you forever for this short moment of endless joy. Thank you

[@guycoutu3188]

Absolument magnifique! Je ressens chaque note, chaque image de cette très belle vidéo!

[@neilhaverstick1446]

A remarkable artist and young woman. Wishing her the best in her path.

[@jefft9729]

Her astounding talent and beauty will always shine and inspire.

[@WilliamPhelpsIII]

An artist who imbues beauty and a grace, pain and glory

[@staffanolofsson8201]

Earlier I wrote: "Every time I listen to this I fall in love with Ravel." Yes, I do, but Alice Sara is the one I think of, in a respectful way, of course. Her music, her history, her MS. In this "Pavane pour une infante défunte" , I think her destiny perhaps is concentrated to the utmost, I feel that this music is connected to her, and even more after she wrote about her MS. So for me this Ravel will be forever connected to Alice Sara. And she is the beautiful, young pianist that plays this wonderful music, and she will play it, and we will listen to her, forever. Thank you for the music!, and we sure hope to hear you again.

[@mariodisarli1022]

Alice & Beethoven "GENIUS"? "MAGIC"? "PHENOMENAL"? No! It's trite !!! Hear this brilliant piece of Beethoven performed in a truly brilliant performance: Beethoven Piano Concerto No3 Krystian Zimerman, piano Leonard Bernstein, conduktor Vienna Philarmonic Orchestra kzbin.info/www/bejne/iGK0f5uIg92piqs

[@staffanolofsson8201]

@@mariodisarli1022 Are you still there? Funny, I haven´t thought of you in a long time. About 6 months. About the words Genius Magic Phenomenal I have nothing to say, and I dont think I have anything special at all to say to you, understanding that we both like music. I dont listen to Alice Sara any more, so you dont have to use any words upon me, I have other goals. This world contains different music as well, and I am eager to get in touch with something I never heard before, so to say. So, stay where you are, if you just want to argue about Alice Sara and perhaps some other female pianists with bare shoulders. I am moving on.

[@staffanolofsson8201]

PS And remember, I always tried to see you as a human beeing. As I still think you are. Not in the first place as an enemy, even if you have tried the best to make all of us your enemies.

[@mariodisarli1022]

@ Staffan Olofsson Persons like you are fans of "attractive pianists" and everything else that can be "attractive and sexy": pianists, journalists, tennis players, ... These are, as a rule, superficial, mediocre people jumping through life in search of something to do and entertainment. You left comments on the Internet that you have already forgotten about. Likewise, you will forget this "star for a day" named Alice!

[@staffanolofsson8201]

@@mariodisarli1022 Thank you Mario. Yes, I admit that I am a human beeing with all the faults connected with this you can imagine. Perhaps you are the only one not a victim of these circumstances? Anyway, I wish you the best of futures, and I hope we are not separating as enemies. We will always have Music. (Paris?, if you have seen the film Casablanca). Best wishes from Staffan, now 75 and still alive! (And I hope that you dont come with anything about "old people" again.)

[@garyjohnson2182]

Very emotional and beautifully performed, thank you !

[@QuattroBajeenaType100]

This performance is one of the masterpieces of this song

[@carolanndebarros8845]

One of my favorites of all times. This is a lovely interpretation . I edited this to my film In the Algarve, Portugsl the day my father died. It reminds me of all of us. We will never be the same again

[@dougwilliams8602]

Beautifully played. This piece takes me back to all the places I have been and the people I once knew.

[@WitoldBanasik]

Exquisite performance. Exceptionally subtle legato and marvelous musicality. Encore ! Encore !

[@UFGator1972]

What a talent! Alice Sara Ott's renditions of this beautiful composition by Maurice Ravel is marvelous. Ott is such a talented pianist, and her beauty does not hurt either.

[@doc032848]

When I think of what would break me, I think of one thing only: the loss of one of my children. Just hearing of the death of a child of a close friend who loved his sons, has struck me recently. I can not imagine his pain. Now that we have been captivated by her and loved her for years, it is heartbreaking to see her this way!! That face was not made for tears!

[@wimmoh]

Very intense and pure. Perfect tempo and perfect phrasing. This is the real thing.

[@filippoformigli8854]

Tutti noi che ti amiamo profondamente ti siamo vicini Alice, forza e coraggio !!!!!!

[@pohonginger6595]

masterpiece!!!......no word can describe how deep and beautiful this performance is

[@alexk.8107]

Beautiful music and beautiful woman.

[@filippoformigli8854]

Così sensibile e coinvolgente Alice è splendida .....

[@fergieNH]

In your beautiful little frame you bring out the best in music. I love you for it..🌹

[@juanfernando1127]

Cómo es posible que esta preciosidad, ella misma y la música que interpreta, pueda padecer esa calamitosa enfermedad, si su aspecto es de extraordinaria salud!

[@francescopiras1620]

Le sue esecuzioni parlano al cuore e rimarranno indimenticabili.

[@patriciagraham2287]

So sad. Very gifted and beautiful young lady, I cry with her. God bless you Alice Sara Ott..

[@halzander8573]

Simply amazing performance and interpretation I really like the tempo as well. Sadly I just read Fernando's comment that she has multiple sclerosis. Let's hope for a wonderful future for an incredibly talented pianist.

[@pascalgonay9301]

Wonderfull, Alice ! Many thanks.

[@ericmsandoval]

Incredible performance of my favorite Ravel song

[@mikestevens5511]

Incredibly beautiful and elegantly performed.

[@marcsmith7789]

Gorgeous interpretation of this jewel. Lyrical as could be.

[@Cinetyk]

She was actually crying playing it. And you can see her steadying herself on the piano as she rises to meet the audience. Just so precious, this performance.

[@staffanolofsson8201]

So?

[@staffanolofsson8201]

After some hesitation: Shame on you, Cinetyk!

[@staffanolofsson8201]

Now I am very angry. It seems that you are more interested in Alice Saras physical condition than in her playing, "steadying herself on the piano" as you say. What sort of man are you? Please, try not to put yourself in front of this wonderful artist. And I dont understand why you do it?

[@staffanolofsson8201]

Cinetyk. Today I´m not so angry anymore. I just think it is so sad that people like you only comment her illness, as if it was something for the magazines, something sensational. "Steadying herself on the piano as she rises". Yes, sensational! Sorry, but this isn´t my horizon. Bye.

[@staffanolofsson8201]

Cinetyk. As you can see, I dont give this up so easy. "Steadying herself on the piano" as you explaines it, seems to me be a gentle touch of the piano as she raises to get the applause. And I still wonder how precious this performance is to you?

[@beatrizlejarza8694]

Describe el sentir de la ausencia, irremplazable. Gran intérprete Sara Ott.❤🇦🇷

[@cliciemariacovizzialvarez5638]

Estou encantada com a performance de Alice. Interpretação maravilhosa, virtuosismo e clareza nas escalas.

[@patriciabatista1509]

Quanta doçura ! Melhor interpretação para piano dessa música 💕

[@Rosangela161]

Always brilliant. Strength and good wishes for your recovery.

[@laurentdenat7070]

Formidable interprétation. Un pur bonheur

[@staffanolofsson8201]

Every time I listen to this I fall in love with Ravel. The nice female pianist is just one of all to let his music out. But thank God for all phenomenal musicians! In this case I pity Alice Sara for her diagnosis MS, but thank her for all wonderful music she has given us. And we hope to hear her again. And yes, Im not only in love with Ravel, Im also a little bit in love with Alice Sara. Who else can separate music from their interpreters? I can not. So my love for Ravel spills over to Alice Sara. A little bit. As a matter of fact I love all musicians. Because I know how hard they try.

[@eytonshalom]

egalmente!

[@mariodisarli1022]

@@eytonshalom @ Staffan Olofsson Dear Olofsson, you write "love letters" to Alice in the video where Alice plays a concert No3 by Beethoven. This mediocre, narcissistic, arrogant person by the name of Alice made every effort to remove all the comments she disliked in the video where she performs Beethoven's concert number 3. But this next trick of this "star for one day" does not change anything, this video demonstrates the weakest performance of this brilliant work of Beethoven. Any inhabitant of our planet with a musical education can see it. But people who are looking for "attractive girls" on the Internet are completely delighted with Alice - she caresses their eyes with her appearance, her unnatural behavior as an actress of a provincial theater. This is not Beethoven, this is a cheap show "a la Hollywood"! I am very ashamed because the French are participating in this cheap show. This person, infinitely in love with herself, hiding under the name Karl Peter, writes enthusiastic comments about herself, calling herself "a new genius young pianist"! This person has completely lost control of her head!

[@staffanolofsson8201]

@@mariodisarli1022 Dear Mario, as I said before, I´m moving on, I haven´t the slightest interest in continuing this stupid discussion any more.

[@mariodisarli1022]

It is such personalities (who go further) who destroy classical music! When you see an "attractive girl" at the piano, you start screaming on the Internet, like a rooster crows in front of a herd of chickens. You are not interested in Beethoven, Chopin, Ravel, ..., you are interested in "GIRLS"!

[@staffanolofsson8201]

@@mariodisarli1022 Thank you Mario. At my age, 75, it is wonderful to hear from you that I am only interested in "Girls". If it was so I would be delighted, but sorry to say, it is not so any more.

[@nivaldonunescruzcruz232]

Simplesmente Maravilhoso!

[@jesstorius9743]

5:30 Is so good! Her control is excellent

[@mestredosmacetes1533]

Oh my god, i would do anything to see her in a concert

[@vichitrapanikkar3544]

Love this-i would play it that way in my dreams-sublime

[@jkgou1]

Thank you very much for this delicate masterpiece Ravel wrote for a Spain princess Stay safe God always bless you

[@brianfitzgerald9559]

My favorite rendition.

[@mariodisarli1022]

THE INDEPENDET (**) Michael Church "...The hall was full - vigorous marketing, plus her trademark bare feet and scarlet ball-dress, had seen to that - but the performance itself was miserably charisma-free." Barefoot??? Tell me, who washed her dirty feet after her performance? Is her manager? Or are their feet licking enthusiastic fans? Or maybe she has to take off her underpants to become even more popular? If Alice thinks she has the right to appear on stage in such a vulgar form, I have every right to ask such questions!

[@Michael-le5ph]

@@mariodisarli1022 I'm sorry but whether you wear shoes or not does not make you a bad pianist. Stop judging her. You make yourself look like a troll and you keep posting the EXACT same post over and over. You need to enjoy music for what it is and stop tearing down artists you've never even met.

[@kerawelt2008]

This Is pure bliss.

[@iancochrane9588]

Alice Sara Strong!!! We All Love you and want you with us

[@johnwade7430]

When i was a teenager, having just discovered Ravel’s piano music, it was via this piece. One of my absolutely favourite pieces of Ravel. Alice is a wonderful interpreter of piece.

[@fergieNH]

This piece, Is straight from god through you! 🌹

[@TrumpetPlayerRayban]

Such a soulful artist

[@Rx-mn5fv]

Her playing has superbly captured the tragically beautiful of the music. Agree completely with Lewis!

[@ernestomatalsol6807]

Lovely, adorable. Ella es una obra maestra de la naturaleza. She is a masterpiece of nature.

[@shin-i-chikozima]

Her incomparable performance of this masterpiece is the moisture of hearts of urbanites who are tired of the hustle and bustle of the city like London , Paris , Tokyo , New York as Megalopolis with unimaginable muderous crowds , dangers and their relationship swirling . From Tokyo in the dizzying Megalopolis ablaze with neon Which national are you watching this video ？

[@vitocortesi9389]

Alice Sara Ott che splendida interpretazione!

[@sudicalwig]

Breathtaking. Achingly beautiful piece. Lovely interpretation

[@wawayu6285]

Very very beautiful ! Emotional !

[@j.r.torres6790]

Perfecta en su interpretación MARAVILLOSA PIEZA , muy emotiva y sutil

[@BigChungusthe3rd]

she makes the most pure and beautiful sounds

[@carmenaballi]

Me encanta Alice

[@fannyjemwong]

ADORO ESTA MELODÍA

[@marcelaricci4841]

Magnifique performance!!!!

[@dmatmor]

She is the best !!!

[@franciscobiro7047]

3:40 sounds so like anime, and the whole piece feels like a studio Ghibli melody for me. And the four chords at 0:57 that appear several times throughout the piece, so full of power and delicacy. Thanks Ravel for composing, thanks Ott for her majestic performance, and thanks God for giving them inspiration.

[@haminguyen9598]

Ravel was an impressionistic composer. Impressionistic music was hugely influenced by East Asian music (especially Japan). ^^ I see, we have an otaku here :D

[@franciscobiro7047]

@@haminguyen9598 Don't think I watch as much anime as to call myself Otaku, but I love Japanese culture and study its language, and yes, anime really brings strong images from my childhood and it is meaningful to me. I didn't know about the eastern influence of impressionistic music... Thanks for your comment 🥰

[@evanever]

Those chords were also sampled (from a guitar cover of this piece) by Nujabes who composed the soundtrack to Samurai Shampoo. If you listen to the track 'Aruarian Dance', you can probably pick them out. I think it's actually why I immediately liked Ravel's piece when I heard it.

[@danielscheinhaus5210]

Very beautiful performance by Alice Sara Ott

[@rafaelcristobal3501]

Magnifico. Gracias por esta versión única

[@liolef7403]

Sublime💘

[@pimjanssens8808]

Moving; soothing (knowing this piece is far not so easy as it sounds; seeing the score). Great!

[@shin-i-chikozima]

Every time I listen to her incomparable performance of this masterpiece , sadness surges up within me From Tokyo of the Land of the Rising Sun 🇯🇵 In memory of Mrs Miku Ishida who was a kind and heartfelt person to me As the days go by , I know that the day to return to Mother Earth is not far away It seems like it was a long time ago that I got to know you , Mrs Miku Ishida , My only regret is that I have not heard from you I'm worried about you suddenly losing communication I am filled with sorrow . So long Long good bye From Tokyo of the Land of the Rising Sun 🇯🇵

[@aureamartins2802]

Jesus! Dói até na alma!!

[@josejuansanchez-baez9564]

Las manos de Alice Sara Ott son “Manos Ángel” es muy muy triste la noticia!! Es muy doloroso vivir sus hermosas y plenas interpretaciones con un duelo de esta naturaleza!

[@steveturpin4242]

Beautiful...thank you.

[@ToboeKing]

Everything is beautiful

[@maxpedemonte2816]

Sublime interpretación de la que es a mi juicio la obra más exquisita de M Ravel

[@harryf1086]

can not hold my tear.........

[@dckfg01]

Just perfect

[@andreaalves6797]

Gorgeous!!!

[@rikitiki816]

OMG OMG !!! great performance

[@irish89055]

Except for the background noise...

[@robinmiller9865]

ASO has developed into one of great artistes of the keyboad.

[@dodgeball693]

Thank you for taking me to a magical place...

[@nickn1316]

A beautiful Ravel piece played so beautifully 😍🤗

[@user-hx9eq3pt5s]

Thank you😢 bravo

[@aroncastrejon4136]

This goes hard af

[@jorgegalvez9025]

Al impresionismo musical de Ravel se une la interpretación virtuosa y magistral de Alice Sara que no solamente interpreta, sino vive el duelo expresado en acordes que recuerdan los momentos trágicos del deceso.

[@tiagobedun305]

What a beautiful interpretation

[@phpn99]

Ravel was 24 when he composed this, at the Paris conservatory. There are several such profound pieces of music from classically-trained composers that came about only a few years away from the composer's teenage years. The Asian harmonic undertones stemmed from these young composers having witnessed Asian music ensembles at the Paris Universal Exposition. The Indonesian gamelan ensemble had made a lasting impression on the slightly older Debussy, who was admired by Ravel for his creative freedom. Listen to Debussy's Reverie for Piano (L. 76), written 9 years earlier, and find similar harmonic episodes.

[@Annemieization]

lovely!!!

[@laurentcinus]

C'est divin!! merci

[@paigesmith2198]

....beautiful