His father knew the best way to do it: “Don’t forget the so-called popular style, which also tickles the long ears [i.e., of “jackasses”],” was Leopold Mozart’s advice to his son Wolfgang Amadé. And the latter correctly responded with the hearty alla turca passages from his Violin Concerto in A major. This “Turkish music” caused contemporary audiences to feel a mixture of pleasure and frisson. But for Lisa Batiashvili, it is the ideal introduction to her residency as “artiste étoile.” This most famous of Mozart’s violin concertos will provide a vehicle to show off her musical qualities; she will also play tender melodies, master brilliant leaps, and impress with her stylishly confident musical taste. By her side on the podium will be the 35-year-old Lahav Shani, whose performance with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra last summer in Haydn’s final symphony had such a sparkling touch that it was impossible not to be amazed. Together with his Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, he will now focus on two milestones of French music. In Debussy’s La Mer, the orchestra is transformed into a flowing ocean, while Ravel’s La Valse celebrates a heated dance on the volcano’s edge.
