Presto interview – Lisa Batiashvili on Sibelius and Tchaikovsky
Released on Deutsche Grammophon in November, Lisa Batiashvili’s recording of the Sibelius and Tchaikovsky Violin Concertos with Daniel Barenboim Staatskapelle Berlin hit our desks just as we were finalising the ‘Presto Top 100’ for 2016, but I think one spin of the disc was all it took to convince us all that it was not only destined for the shortlist but very likely a shoo-in for the Top 10 – reviewing it two weeks later, my colleague James spoke for the whole editorial team in praising the ‘freedom and elasticity of phrasing and tempo’ which characterise both performances and describing them as ‘unbelievably impressive accounts of two cornerstones of the repertoire’.
Shortly after our Top 10 was announced, I had a lovely chat with Lisa over the phone as she prepared for a series of performances in Amsterdam: read on to find out more about her artistic relationship with Daniel Barenboim, her history with these two pinnacles of the concerto repertoire, and the experience of performing them with different orchestras and conductors in quick succession!