Customer Reviews

Mozart: The Piano Concertos [Box Set]

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The first impression is of excellent recorded sound: transparent, perfectly balanced and full of colour; the orchestral playing and conducting equally sensitive and flexible, full of character and life. Mitsuko Uchida is a perfect Mozart pianist. Her playing is elegant, deeply felt, personal and wonderfully idiosyncratic. There are delightfully wayward moments with slow movements stretched to a gossamer thread. With playing of this character and refinement were these movements to last forever they would still be too short! A delightful set, truthfully beautiful - such music leaves one speechless and amazed!

The five stars are for the performances and recordings. For my taste, Uchida and Tate are the ones to have for the Mozart concertos. But there are two things you should know before you buy this set:

1) The first four of Mozart's numbered concertos are not included. Actually, these aren't really by Mozart--they're his arrangements of music by other composers. Frankly, I don't miss them.

2) Both the 16th and the 19th concertos are begun on one disk and continued on another. Obviously this is a cost-cutting measure. But I find it annoying to have to shuttle between two disks to hear one concerto. I dealt with this by burning concertos 16 and 19 to a single disk and including it with my boxed set. If you don't want to do this, or you don't have the equipment to burn a CD, then you need to decide if shuttling between two CDs for these two concertos is worth the money you'll save in buying this budget set. Spreading a single Mozart concerto over two disks is simply unacceptable--an example of a decision made by people with no aesthetic judgment. Either redo the order of the concertos in the 8 disk set, or add one more disk.

The music and performances, of course, are sublime. The perfection of Mozart's music is matched by Uchida's flawless and tasteful playing.

Mitsuko Uchida is a brilliant technician who pours her heart and soul into this reading of the Mozart concertos. This is "Mozart-plus-Mitsuko." Her charismatic performance is what makes this set of concertos unique and in my mind superior to all others. There is a close contender, the interpretation by Rudolf Buchbinder. Uchida is more profound, but Buchbinder's energetic precision qualifies him as the first runner-up.

But there is really no comparing the two. Buchbinder has an entirely different approach and is an entirely different person. One might classify Uchida's style as "romantic" and Buchbinder's as "classical." Uchida's evocative style comes from her inner warmth and passion. Her incredible virtuosity illuminates the depth of character of both Mozart and Mitsuko.

Mitsuko Uchida achieves those rare moments in great art when the revelation of divinity from the composer's inspired genius is passed through the performer's hands to inspire the audience. It works a kind of miraculous therapy.

The English Chamber Orchestra is brilliant under the baton of Jeffrey Tate. The orchestra sounds more focused and articulate than in the Murray Perahia concertos (under his own direction).

P.S. Theologian Karl Barth said that when the Angels play for God, they play Bach. But when they are relaxing by themselves, they play Mozart. I recommend both the Uchida and the Buchbinder. I think the Angels would prefer Mitsuko.

I have many of these pieces performed by other artists such as Horowitz, Richter, Argerich, and Brendel, but I find myself listening to Uchida more than any of the others. I like her blend of precision, tempi, chiaroscuro of mood, and dynamics. The clarity of the recording is also exceptional.

I am in complete agreement with Frank Bunyard's remarks, especially the "spiritual channeling" of the composer that Uchida accomplishes. To hear her is to participate in a celebration of the "miracle" of Mozart!

I bought the boxed set and absolutely love it, for all of the reasons other reviewers mention. With no intention of being sacrilegious, "There is no (musical) god but Mozart, and Uchida is his prophet."

I have, however, begun collecting the individual CDs of the same recordings.

One big reason for this is that some of the individual CDs include recordings of other pieces as well: the recording of concertos Nos. 5 & 6 also includes the Rondo K. 382, and No. 17 includes the piano quintet. (Likewise, the individual CDs of Uchida playing Mozart's piano sonatas include pieces that are not in the boxed set.)

Also, I find it easier to digest the concertos a couple at a time rather than all at once. Regardless, Uchida's recordings are wonderful, whether purchased one-at-a-time or as a boxed set.

I admit, I'm also having fun finding low-priced used copies of the individual CDs.

Once I am done collecting the individual CDs, I will pass the boxed set on to a friend, hopefully making another convert in the process.

This is simply the best interpretation of Mozart's Piano Concertos I've ever heard! I own three different sets and in my humble opinion this is the Holy Grail as far as recordings of Mozart Piano Concertos. Uchida's fingers (touch on the keys) work and finesse the pieces played into a musical tour de force. She truly does bring these pieces of music to life.

I have listened to every piece played in this eight cd package and to be blunt: absolutely superb playing. I personally think The English Chamber Orchestra conducted by Jeffery Tate provides just the right canvas for this collage of music to come to artistic fruition. Phillips is recognized around the world for fabulous sound engineering in their recordings - they got all eight cds "just right".

I have reviewed many classical cds on Amazon - This is a set that needs to be on every classical music lovers' shelf. I can't imagine anyone being disappointed in this box set. I know that I am never parting with this set! What a great Christmas gift this set would be for a loved one or good friend! If you like piano and orchestra music that is involving, moving, and crystal clear to both ear and mind, order this set! Happy Holidays music lovers!

Whether it's your first introduction to the Mozart piano concertos or you've been listening to them for years, this box-set collection by Uchida and the English Chamber Orchestra is a must. I have been listening to Alfred Brendel's collection also recorded under the Philips label for almost twenty years, and whilst Brendel is a brilliant interpreter of Mozart, Uchida definitely brings something new and fresh to these beautiful concertos. Every note, every passge is played in a thoughtful and heart-felt manner, the tempi are appropriate - nothing too fast or slow or idiosyncratic - and the quality of the recordings themselves are brilliant. A couple of the concertos - nos 16 and 19 - are contained over two discs, which was a little disappointing, and the double and triple concertos are not on there, but apart from this, this box set is very well priced and is likely to keep you in good company for a very long time.

Truly an outstanding set, I would rate it equal to Geza Anda's classic set and superior to Perahia, Buchbinder and Barenboim for complete sets. Of course, there are individual discs which I prefer by Curzon, Haskil, Serkin, Casadeseus, Kempff etc. Unfortunately none of these legendary Mozartians made complete sets, especially Curzon, who in my opinion was without equal in these works.

I have little to add to previous reviews. Uchida's performances are precise but lyrical and wonderfully quirky. Her technique is flawless, her tone gorgeous (and at times jewel-like, in a good way), and her touch and dynamics exquisite. Where she takes liberties with the tempi, this is to me exhilarating rather than irritating. It certainly does not break the magnificent spell of these works; it seems to sustain and enhance it. The English Chamber Orchestra is fantastic. I do not agree with a previous reviewer that Jeffrey Tate's conducting is workmanlike and pedestrian. While at times somewhat stiff, in the end it is paradoxically more of an asset than a liability. Tate unifies the orchestra beautifully and it generally sings with a single voice without obscuring individual moments of instrumental emphasis or solo. This, in a concerto, seems completely right. While Tate seems to follow Uchida's lead carefully, neither the piano nor the orchestra eclipses the other. In my estimation, this is a product of Tate's "pedestrian" restraint. When Uchida plays with stunning pianissimo, we hear every note.

Recorded sound is excellent, and, taken as a whole, each performance equals or exceeds others I have heard of individual works, although my experience with many of them is admittedly limited.

Highly recommended.

I agree with the many posters who praise these excellent performances. Uchida is a strong pianist with a fine Mozart touch, especially effective in the cadenzas. The English Chamber Orchestra under Jeffrey Tate provides lively rhythms most of the time, but is able to darken their tone appropriately where necessary, as in the 20th, the first in a minor key.

(I feel a special relationship to that concerto. Many years ago, a friend of mine and I were spending a week at the BSO summer festival in Tanglewood. We came upon a piano in one of the sheds and noticed on the stand the music for the Mozart 20th in an edition for 4 hands. We had the nerve of the very young and sat down to try our hand (hands) on the slow middle movement. No one came to cart us away; instead, a man came along and turned pages for us. We played raggedly but with spirit. Anyway, that's what the man, who we recognized as Aaron Copland, told us when we finished. I can never hear this beautiful music without thinking of that extraordinary event.)

Anyway, these are all fine performances, a worthy addition to any Mozart collection, indeed a perfectly good place to start if you don't already have other versions of these great works for piano and orchestra. Highly recommended.