[image]
[title]What does playing in Tokyo mean to you?
Japan is my second home and so it means a huge amount to me to be here and to play for the Japanese people. I gave my very first concert 15 years ago, and I come here two or three times per year, so I have a long relationship with Japanese audiences. The country also has a large number of great concert halls, so it’s always a wonderful experience.
What can we expect from your show at NHK hall?
I’m very happy to be playing once again with the NHK Symphony Orchestra – I have a special relationship with them, both on and off stage. This time we will be playing the Ravel Piano Concerto in G major, which is such a fun concerto, full of colours and nuances, particularly from the brass. So I’m very much looking forward to these concerts!
How do Japanese audiences differ from in other countries where you have played?
They are one of the most devoted and passionate audiences. In September 2018 I gave nine recitals across Japan, and there were a few people who came to all nine recitals across the country! Even if the programme was the same, they knew that each performance would be different. During the CD signing afterwards they would sometimes queue for up to one and a half hours for a signature, even if they already owned the album! So I have a very special bond with Japanese audiences, and playing here means a lot to me.
What’s the first thing you like to do when arriving in Tokyo?
Eat onigiri! I grew up eating these rice balls, homemade by my mum. Now I make them too. Oh and I always have miso soup, which I’m obsessed with. In the evening I will go and see friends at an izakaya. The day I arrive I try not to get back to the hotel until 11pm or midnight, to try and beat the jetlag, because as soon as I see the bed I just want to sleep…
And the last thing before you leave?
Go and get sushi on the way to the airport. My favourite place is Hikarimono.
Your new album features Gaspard de la Nuit, described as one of the greatest challenges of piano literature, what makes it so difficult?
When Ravel wrote this piece he wanted to top Islamey by Balakirev and write an even more difficult piece! It is very challenging, technically but also emotionally. You have to face all your fears.
Alice Sara Ott plays NHK Hall, Tokyo on Nov 9 and 10. Her new album, Nightfall, is out now on Deutsche Grammophon.