Customer Reviews

Zubin Mehta & Misuko Uchida

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Five WONDERFUL Stars! This DVD is a visual and aural double pleasure: the authoritative Zubin Mehta and the fabulous Israel Philharmonic Orchestra meet the awesome pianism of Mitsuko Uchida in a bravura concert recorded in Tel Aviv in 2002. The performances are beautifully recorded, and filmed from an impressive number of angles, including a spectacular shot that retreats from above the violin section in a huge arc around the piano to a full shot of the orchestra.


The main 'Pieces de 'Resistance' begin with a beautifully rendered Beethoven "Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No 4, op 58 in G major"; a performance of nuance, clarity, and great beauty. And then listen to (and watch) her performance of the unlisted encore of Mozart's "Sonata in C, K 545, second movement". WOW, it's so beautiful and her touch is gorgeous. Her encyclopedic knowledge and mastery of the great classical composers over her career makes her entirely deserving of her worldwide acclaim for these many years.

The 'Pieces D' Resistance' for the remainder of the DVD, are Mehta and the Philharmonic's poignant rendition of Schubert's "Rosamunde D 797 Overture 1a", and Philharmonic soloists Dudu Carmel (oboe) and Zinovi Kaplan (violin) on the inspired "Bach Concerto for Oboe, Violin and Strings No 9", which is greatly enjoyed by an enthusiastic Mehta.

As a Mitsuko Uchida fan for 20 years, it is great to not only FINALLY see her perform on DVD, but to see her with the great Zubin Mehta as both are literally swept away by the music when one or the other is dominating the proceedings. On a scale of one to five. Five Wonderful Stars!! Buy it NOW and enjoy!! It's wonderful and worth every penny!! Highly Recommended!!!!!. Five ENCHANTING Stars!! (DVD)

Well, why do i give it three stars? Other reviews seem to love it. I am not a pro. Admittedly. The music is quite adequate, especially the orchestra. the pianist is emotional to a fault and to me the face doesn't go with the music. Compare her with lisitsa where the emotion comes from the music, not suspiciously contrived. But that's only my take. I just couldn't buy the sensitivity this pianist was trying to show on her face, a bit much. But technically no complaint.

Now if that was my only issue i would give this 5 stars largely because it is a bargain. But, two things with this DVD soured the performances for me. First of all the thing is a musical jigsaw puzzle. the listing for the program on the disc itself is absolutely incorrect. The Bach is listed as the first but is in reality the second last. Instead of the Bach oboe & violin being first, the Beethoven is first with the pianist and then comes the pianist again on I think the Schubert, (you see nothing is identified on screen during or between the performances). You have to be totally familiar with every piece on here or you do have a jigsaw puzzle. The Stravinsky is clearly last and is so identified on the back of the dvd case. The back listing may be correct but i seem to get that there was a mystery piece somewhere in the program that is not listed. I counted five pieces but there is only 4 listed on the back of the case. Anyway for someone unfamiliar with these pieces it is a jigsaw puzzle. Chapters are not dependable 5(5) Is the major part of the concert. One through four cannot be followed because they don't coincide with anything. This is a great dvd for anyone who doesn't need to know what is what because they know the pieces by heart. That is not me. Finally the so called extras simply are not there. the only one that is there is the text bio for Zubin. The running time listed on the back is correct for the concert itself but there is no 35 minutes for each special as listed. Either the producers or nutechdigital screwed up big time or Mehta changed the program and didn't tell anybody.

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.