Rating: 5/5
Review:
Great Mozart playing
I love Mitsuko Uchida's Mozart sonatas. She is to me, with the possible exception of Murray Perahia, the greatest Mozart pianist of our age.
Some people claim to have found Uchida's playing lacking in emotion, but this is music from the Classical era, between the contrapuntal complexities of the Baroque and the sweeping emotion of the Romantic, and one of its defining characteristics is its form or structure. There is plenty of feeling throughout the set - simple joy in the opening Allegro of K545, or lambent beauty in the Adagio cantabile of K333, for example - but it is expressed through carefully crafted form as well as inspired melodic themes and wonderful harmonic creativity and these shine through under Uchida's fingers. There are no sweeping gestures or great gushing outbursts, but for me Mozart's fabulous music comes straight from her heart and goes straight to mine.
Often in a dramatic performance by an actor restraint and control are far more effective in conveying deep feeling than a lot of roaring and gesticulating. Similarly here, where Uchida respects the music's inner structures and lets it speak for itself while obviously loving and feeling it. Consider her playing in the opening Allegro moderato of K330; no flashy tricks or overblown look-how-intensely-I'm-feeling-this techniques, but a lovely, lovely tone, immaculate technique and a wholly involving, beautiful delicacy which brings it completely alive. I couldn't ask for more.
This is the definitive Mozart set for me, and I don't say that lightly given the quality of the competition. I cannot commend this set too highly. Pure treasure.
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