Belgian National Orchestra, Halls & Ott

Strauss, Ravel, and Sibelius fling open the windows on a hot summer night. What blows in is pure passion and irresistible local colour. Richard Strauss sets the tone with Don Juan: bold, reckless, and irresistible. The orchestra embarks on an adventure of energy and desire, with a flair that instantly awakens the senses. Maurice Ravel follows with his Piano Concerto in G: direct, gripping, and intoxicating — a sultry mix of jazz, blues, and Parisian elegance. Internationally celebrated pianist Alice Sara Ott makes the piano sing and shimmer, both crisp and playful in the outer movements, and tender and moving in the dreamy middle section, where time seems to pause and Ravel’s jazzy elegance fully blooms. Finally, the Boléro: Ravel transforms repetitive mechanics into an unprecedented climax. One rhythm, one melody, repeated ever more intensely. What begins with control and distance becomes physical, obsessive, and unavoidable. Under Matthew Halls’ direction, this dance becomes hypnotic. The sun sets, the warmth remains.