Product: Zubin Mehta & Misuko Uchida
Rating: 3.0
Great, or just Good?
Uchida enjoys such a big name worldwide. Having really heard her here for the first time, one wonders how she could compare with Zimerman who played it with so much conviction (Vienna Philahrmonic/ Bernstein: DG); even the less with Arrau who possesses a such rich and sonorous tone plus a full sense of structure (Pianists of the Golden Age). One shouldn't really compare her with Backhaus (with Knappertbusch )e.g. the dialogues between the orchestra with the pianist as the poet: Note that however stormy the orchestra might sound: the Backhaus remained the poet and the centre of attention instead of being overwhelmed altogether...People say No.4 is the most difficult of all Beethoven's Concerti and it is just a little too ambitious for a pianist like Uchida to choose this one. With Uchida, the structure isn't terribly clear. Perhaps this is justified, for this concerto is fundamentally lyrical, more introspective than heroic. Yet her tone is so bright when it is meant to be introspective and on other occasion it sounded as though she is screaming. Are those the heroic moments? What about the dialogues between the piano and the orchestra, particularly that in the second movement?Well, the audience can listen for themselves if they like the solo part which opens the concerto, and how they like the balance between the piano and the orchestra albeit Mehta was so accommodative so much so that we almost have a muted orchestra...Her Mozart (K.545, second movement) is rather nice. But don't expect the simplicity and beauty of Geiseking's, nor the lyricism of Horszowski's rendition. Having heard her, I wonder if she is any better than Dang Thai Son ( first Asian Chopin International Competition gold medalist )? Or, is she anywhere as great as M Long, Annie Fischer, Clara Haskil, Guiomar Novaes, Nikolayeva, Maria Tipo... etc just to name a few other contemporary woman pianists albeit for one reason or the other, none of the latters had been chosen as great pianist of the century by Philips? One explanation would be, gripped tight in the rein of Commercialism, the Japanese market was and is just too great to ignore.Lastly, one should also take note that too much close-ups of Uchida's facial expressions may not add anything to the enjoyment of the music; and the way she bows (lower than her waist i.e. well beyond 90 degree) is neither here nor there. But one should also point out that the oboiest as well as the violinist in Bach are marvelous, and Mehta and the ochestra has obviously done a very good job. They are to be recommended for their wonderful performance.