Alice Sara Ott and the LSO, Barbican Centre

From Mendelssohn to Midori, classical music has a long history of astonishing prodigies. There can be very few, however, able to give their first recital at the age of two. German-Japanese pianist Alice Sara Ott did just that. Now twenty-six, she has transcended her child star status to become one of the most garlanded musicians in the world, with numerous rewards and competition wins. Since making her London debut a couple of years ago, Ott’s appearances in the capital have been greeted with universal delight.
This January, as part of the Barbican’s 2016 season, Ott returns to the London Symphony Orchestra. She will be joined by conductor Sir Antonio Pappano, the Royal Opera House’s music director. A formidable force at the podium, Pappano has a sterling reputation when it comes to music of his native Italy.
The evening begins in Florence by way of Switzerland, with Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini (1934). Composed over a month, it is a set of twenty four variations on Paganini’s twenty-fourth caprice. It’s the perfect showpiece for a virtuoso pianist, twisting and reforming the original violin work into a dizzying sequence. Played with an orchestra, it becomes lush yet propulsive.
Then, Pappano and the LSO will then launch into one of the conductor’s trademark specialities – Ottorino Respighi’s Roman Trilogy (1917-28). A set of tone poems in four movements, each one takes a different aspect or scene from the city’s life and turns it into a glowing orchestral celebration. The composer’s masterpieces, all three are suffused with a late romantic glow. Rarely performed in London, they deserve to be better known. This night should serve as their triumphant reintroduction.