Piano Recital: John Field & Beethoven

It doesn’t get more melancholic than the Mondschein Sonata. The most famous piano sonata by Ludwig van Beethoven is the ultimate romantic masterpiece. It captures the emotions of longing and loneliness and sublimates these into beauty. World-renowned pianist Alice Sara Ott makes her debut at the Muziekgebouw with a recital in which she combines Beethoven with a less well-known contemporary, the Irish composer John Field, of whom she plays a selection from his Nocturnes.

Today, we associate the term ‘nocturne’ first and foremost with Chopin – whose work continues to weave its way through Ott’s discography. But it was John Field who first used the term for a contemplative, melodious piano piece. For her latest album, Ott has recorded all of Field’s Nocturnes; with this, she writes a new chapter in her unique and original oeuvre.