A brightly-lit
Mozarteum in Salzburg, and more than a minute’s static build
up - even the audience is frozen - leave you wondering if
your DVD player has gone on the blink. With the acoustic established
and our ears attuned, the musicians finally make a showing
and tune up. We are give a flavour of what it must feel like
to be on stage with the expectant ears and eyes of the public
on your every move.
Uchida’s conducting
is not the most immediately attractive to watch, but it is
borne out of deep conviction and knowledge of the inner workings
of every note of the score. She knows that the only way to
get dynamic contrast with what is little more than a chamber
orchestra is to ensure that the quiet passages are really
quiet. So at the beginning you see her constantly exhorting
the musicians to hush, one finger before pursed lips.
I don’t wish to
criticise the orchestral musicians. They are obviously an
intelligent, cultured and talented bunch, but you can’t help
noticing how concentrated they are on their desks. Very few
glances go in the direction of the pianist/conductor. While
I suspect there is something going on between the principal
violin and the flautist, if anything the players seem to be
grimly hanging on to the movements of the leader’s violin
rather than Mitsuko’s sometimes idiosyncratic gestures. They
also seem to be enjoying some kind of in-joke, which might
be the result of some director’s encouragement to look joyful
and interact with each other. However this sometimes ends
up looking as if they are being amused by something at Uchida’s
expense.
All this said,
these are intense and well executed performances using modern
instruments, with only the timpanist’s hard sticks as a nod
toward an ‘authentic’ period sound. I have long admired Uchida’s
playing, and it is a wonderful discovery to see her at work
from within the orchestra. The piano is placed centrally,
looking incongruously new and modern in the classical setting
of the Mozarteum. With the soloist’s back to the audience
the obvious angles are from virtually inside the lidless solo
instrument, and from a number of camera angles including the
balcony, stage sides and from behind the musicians. The only
camera regularly visible on stage is neatly covered in a black
cloth, and only slightly less animated than the orchestral
musicians with which it keeps company. This is the one focused
on Uchida’s face and records her incredibly swift and subtle
pedalling, visible as the dampers twitch in unison. Uchida’s
facial expressions are infinitely fascinating, and only occasionally
upstaged by that of the leader, who sneaks a wink at the flautist
now and then.
The lighter K415
is given an expressive and elegant performance, but it is
the darker K466 which makes this DVD special. From the sheer
drama of the opening one almost expects singers in full costume
to appear from the wings. It feels like an overture, but the
singer is of course the piano, whose language is locked into
the intellect as much as to the emotions. Uchida’s inspired
control is self evident, but the blood, bones and sheer human
effort of Mozart’s creation seems to be born afresh
with Uchida. It’s not hard work to listen, but it is incredibly
involving to watch. The apparent simplicity of the slow movement’s
notes are given every ounce of expressive weight, the contrasts
of joy and despair at every moment being laid out as painfully
or playfully as a scene acted by the great Peter O’Toole.
The bonus track
‘I’ll play Bach when I’m seventy’ is a fascinating little
talk in which Uchida compares the worlds of Haydn, Mozart
and Beethoven in a way which puts their music into realistic
context and perspective. The unfortunate Haydn is overshadowed
by both of the other two names, but having as great strengths
his constant experimentation with form and his longevity,
which lead to his having one foot in both musical worlds.
Uchida talks in fluent and articulate German - with accurately
translated English subtitles - about her fascination with
the earlier atonal piano music of Schőnberg, and her
attitude to the need for an openness to new music. There are
one or two short and fuzzily transferred musical illustrations
from a variety of filmed performances. For such a short piece
(under 20 minutes) Uchida packs in a great deal about herself,
her feelings about the differences between solo and concerto
performance, and about many of the composers who have been
so important to her. The conclusion is that it took her many
years to ‘understand’ Mozart and become prepared to play all
of his sonatas in public. So it would appear she will have
to become a grand old dame before she takes her Bach 48 Preludes
and Fugues to the concert platform.
Fans of Mitsuko
and Mozart need have no hesitation in adding this DVD to their
collection. It is a well produced recording in 5.1 DTS Surround
Sound and a beautifully played concert, with the benefit to
home watchers of having a far better view of the soloist than
those who paid to attend.
Dominy Clements
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Camerata Salzburg/Mitsuko
Uchida (piano, conductor)
[72:10]
