Schubert: Piano Sonata, D.960 / 3 Klavierstücke, D.946 ~ Uchida

Franz [Vienna] Schubert (Composer), Mitsuko Uchida (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Mitsuko Uchida
• Composer: Franz [Vienna] Schubert
• Audio CD (August 11, 1998)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Philips
• ASIN: B000009OU3
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #47,881 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

41 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A wonderfully insightful performance - excellent choice, June 7, 2000

By 

Mark Shanks (Portland, OR) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Schubert: Piano Sonata, D.960 / 3 Klavierstücke, D.946 ~ Uchida (Audio CD)

The final Schubert piano sonata has always fascinated me - I've been under it's spell for over 25 years and have collected many recordings. Some of my favorites tend towards the extreme in terms of tempo - both the Valery Afanassiev recording for ECM (live from the 1985 Lockenhaus Festival) and especially Richter's performance from the 1964 Aldeburgh Festival have opening movements even slower than Uchida's. (Uchida brings it in at 21"53", where Afanassiev takes 22:45 and Richter plays at an insanely self-absorbed 25:07.) Pollini, in a more "mainstream" performance on DG, is a veritable speed demon by comparison: 18:52. But it isn't the actual tempo that is important; it's the attention to detail, and there's much to hear in this performance. At approximately halfway through the first movement, just before the development, time almost stops and we're suspended in awe before returning to a gentle landing in a more moderate approach. Listen especially to the passage from 14:30 to 15:15: if you want to hear the difference between pianissimo, pp, and ppp, they're all demonstrated with grace and fluidity. No gazing despondently into the abyss here, but a wistful, eloquent reading.

The recording itself is a bit "blended" for my taste - not as sharp (maybe "brittle" is the word?)as I'd like it to be, but again, perfectly acceptable and more a matter of taste. This is a warmer, more diffuse sound than on many other recordings I've heard, and although you don't lose any notes, they aren't as "highlighted" as some.

This doesn't displace the Richter as my *favorite* performance, but then again, I've listened to that one for years and years. But this is certainly VERY highly recommendable as a first recording to own, and I know that I'll be listening to it many times for it's own special qualities.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not for every taste, April 26, 2005

By 

David Gillett "cd-maven" (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Schubert: Piano Sonata, D.960 / 3 Klavierstücke, D.946 ~ Uchida (Audio CD)

The mixed reviews of this album reflect how strongly Uchida personalizes this music. If you like what she does: Wow! And if not, it will leave you cold. I've owned this CD for 4 months and keep coming back to it after listening to other interpretations ranging from Brendel's powerful but rather impersonal one to Horowitz's quirky but unforgettable effort.

Traditional Japanese music uses silence as much as sound to express its meaning and, in the first two movements of D. 960, Uchida allows the silence to have its say. Try listening to some shakuhachi music and then listen to this recording again. I guarantee it will make much more sense.

Uchida isn't afraid of a thunderclap cutting through Schubert's sweetness. The bravura she brings to the powerful sections seems even more titanic after her ethereal softness.

In Schubert's solo piano music, he seems to be expressing deeply personal feelings. Hearing how a variety of artists bring his work to life is worth the time and expense. If you're on this quest, don't miss Uchida.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My favorite piano CD, December 1, 2002

By 

Richard M. Gold (Amherst, MA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Schubert: Piano Sonata, D.960 / 3 Klavierstücke, D.946 ~ Uchida (Audio CD)

I've been through all the Beethoven piano sonatas, on CD and in concert, some many times, but was never as profoundly moved as when I only recently first heard the Schubert 960 in a local concert. The 22 minute first movement casts a heavenly spell. If you get only one Schubert piano sonata, this in the one. I've since collected and listened to most of them on CD(also by Uchida). The others are good to excellent, but the 960 is special. I also have the Brendel 2-CD set with the last three Schubert sonatas, which includes the 960 (also Philips). A great value and an excellent performance, but Uchida's is slightly better. More range of intensity.