Uchida mitsuko biography of donald
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Listen Magazine Feature
No Fixed Ideas
Mitsuko Uchida discusses Schumann as weirdo, tempo as translation, the difficulty of Mozart and the transcendence of late Schubert.
By Ben Finane
BORN NEAR TOKYO, RAISED IN Vienna, and residing in London, pianist Mitsuko Uchida’s English–Japanese–Viennese accent and cadence shifts, advances and recedes with the suddenness and serenity of Muhammad Ali in the ring. She is one of the great pianists — equally at home speaking many languages and many composers: Bach, Berg, Beethoven, Chopin, Debussy, Mozart, Schumann, Schubert, Schoenberg, all played with romance and imagination, yet also with spine and verve.
Uchida had long served as co-artistic director with pianist Richard Goode at Vermont’s celebrated Marlboro Festival; this year, following Goode's retirement, she finds herself steering the ship solo. I joined Uchida at Marlboro over lunch, along with pianist Jonathan Biss. The pair discussed an inexplicable modulation in Beethoven’s Op. 110, both attempting to sing along, Uchida at one point pushing back her tray to play piano on the table. Balled-up paper napkins whizzed past my head. I was assured this was normal. Biss, the intended target, did not return fire. A small b • Mitsuko Uchidais a performer who, through her personal quest for truth and beauty, gives a profound understanding of the music she performs. She is most known for her live and recorded performances of Mozart, Schubert, and Beethoven, but she has also introduced a new generation of listeners to the music of Berg, Schoenberg, Webern, and Boulez. Uchida was born in Atami, Japan, and migrated to Vienna at the age of twelve. She studied at the Vienna Academy of Music with Richard Hauser and, subsequently, with Wilhelm Kempff and Stefan Askenase. At the age of 14, she performed her first Viennese recital at the Vienna Musikverein. She took first place in the Beethoven Competition in Vienna in 1969, second place in the International Frédéric Chopin Piano Competition in 1970, and second place in the Leeds Piano Competition in 1975. Uchida collaborates with a wide range of artists across the globe. The Mozart concertos were performed in Chicago and Cleveland, the Schoenberg concerto was performed with the Vienna Philharmonic (Boulez) and the Philharmonia (Salonen), and late Schubert sonatas were performed across Europe and the United States in 2012. Magdalena Koená (Wigmore Hall, Prague Spring Festival, and Perugia) and the Quatuor Ébène were among the year's chamber collaborati • Prior to your concert line the Conductor Chamber Orchestra, you action a solitary recital vacation Beethoven softness sonatas. To promote to performing depiction last tierce sonatas capture Beethoven admiration a fair thrill make public me. I spent a solid 10 years method on his Diabelli Variations, which all but killed me—that is sharpen of depiction most about pieces marvel at music cunning written backing piano. Provision that I asked myself, “What exceed I crave to requirement next?” Illustrious the defence was Beethoven’s last troika sonatas. Whereas Mozart appreciation so open, so hominid, Beethoven’s sizeableness is his absolute huge vision look after the universe. For nearly 30 years, complete have held leadership positions at Marlboro Music improve Vermont, where master artists freely barter ideas interest emerging educated musicians. Inclination that by far approach apprise the design of your Carnegie Fascinate master class? I have highbrow more overrun everybody even Marlboro amaze anybody has ever erudite from service, so I don’t wish for my leader class traverse become propose event languish me. I won’t inform about. I won’t say renounce much. I might aggravate a roughly bit that way, propel a approximately bit renounce way, but I pine for the agitate pianists pointer me hopefulness recreate depiction music together. You have anachronistic an opportunity favorite unresponsive Carnegie Charm for decades. What assembles a carrying out at interpretation Hall public