Alice Sara Ott
At the beginning of the 20th century, Sergei Diaghilev and his Ballets Russes brought about a profound transformation of the Parisian art scene. In collaboration with renowned composers such as Stravinsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, and Ravel, he succeeded in renewing ballet and placing it at the heart of the European avant-garde. Pianists Alice Sara Ott and Francesco Tristano, who draw strong inspiration from electronic music and modern influences, playfully reinterpret the works of that era. Their approach blends Russian, Viennese, and French stylistic elements, transporting the classical pieces into a contemporary club atmosphere. Instead of focusing on the original shock value, the provocation of their interpretation lies in their creative transposition to the present day. Tristano's own composition, "A Soft Shell Groove," expands the program with a modern work that captures the current spirit of dance with gentle techno rhythms. Ott and Tristano take the music of Stravinsky, Ravel, and Rimsky-Korsakov back to its origins—in sound as well as in its aesthetic and spiritual dimensions. For both artists, the starting point remains the freedom of expression, from which they boldly create something new that already exists at its core. The album "Scandale" documents this spirit of 21st-century innovation and offers a fresh interpretation of the historical scandal.