Thursday March 9th, 2023 - Pianist Mitsuko Uchida (above) and the Mahler Chamber Orchestra in concert at Carnegie Hall. Two beloved Mozart concertos book-ended a performance of the fascinating Kammersymphonie No. 1 by Arnold Schoenberg.
My first experience of hearing Mitsuko Uchida live was at Tanglewood, on Bastille Day 1989, when she played Ravel on a program - under Seiji Ozawa's baton - that also featured Kathleen Battle singing French opera arias. We'd made the trek to the lawns at Lenox specially to hear the radiant Ms. Battle, and we ended up being equally captivated by Ms. Uchida.
Tonight at Carnegie Hall, the pianist not only played divinely but also conducted from the Steinway; a packed house listened in rapt silence (most of the time) to the ravishing Uchida sound, whilst also basking in the stellar music-making of the Mahler Chamber Orchestra.
Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 25 in C Major, K. 503, opens with a maestoso passage, immediately establishing the MCO as an ensemble of marvelous musicians. A lovely progression of melodies unfolds before Ms. Uchida begins to play: shimmering figurations in which every note shone with delicacy and grace. As the music moves thru major/minor mood swings, we are treated to a feast magical sounds, both from the piano and from the ensemble, where the wind players have many opportunities to shine. A familiar theme greets us, and here I must mention the velvety appeal of the MCO's trio of basses. Ms. Uchida's gift for subtlety enchants us in a cadenza full of contrasts, magically shaped.
The Andante is perhaps not one of Mozart's most touching slow movements, but it includes some eloquent music for the wind players, wrapped around passages for piano that cover the full range of the keyboard, from weighty depths to poetic heights.
The concerto's finale starts with a gracious dance, turning livelier as Ms. Uchida introduces a sprightly solo piano passage. The basses again stand out, the music veering into the minor key; then the pianist duets with the bass, oboe, and flute in turn. Ms. Uchida tosses off flowing cascades of notes before a return to the courtly pomp that opened the work.
Now the stage is set for the Schoenberg Kammersymphonie No. 1, for which all the musicians save the cellist and bass player were standing. Back in the 1980s, when I began to explore other areas of classical music beyond opera, I bought a CD of this Schoenberg piece, and I played it often as a contrast to the works of Barber and Mendelssohn that were among my early favorites n the non-vocal genres. Tonight, the players of the MCO gave this gloriously quirky work a lush performance, their body English and evident delight in the music made for an engrossing half-hour.
Melodious fragments are woven into the marvelous textures that Schoenberg summons for us, and the abounding rhythmic variety he embraces makes for intriguing delights. In writing of endless inventiveness, each instrument has its moments in which to shine forth: the pungent viola, the piping piccolo, the purring cello and bass, the weighty contrabassoon - how these sounds charm, tickle, or caress the ear!
A sense of urgency springs up; with squiggly string motifs, the music rushes forward, only to stall out. Hushed cello and bass, along with delicate string pizzicati, support the celestial high violin in a poignant passage. A brooding lyricism, the cello and bass again leading the way, draws flashes of song passed from the viola, to the violin, and to the muted trumpet. Warbling winds herald the symphony's kozmic, ebullient finale. What an absolute thrill it has been to savor this remarkable music live: the audience hailed the players with great enthusiasm as they formed a line-up spanning the width of the revered Carnegie stage. Bravi tutti!
A rather overlong intermission ensued; finally the players returned - I just have to mention how beautiful the women of the Mahler Chamber Orchestra are - and Ms. Uchida seated herself to commence the Mozart Piano Concerto No. 27 in B-flat Major, K. 595.
From a pulsing start, the Allegro moves into a pensive mode with alternating currents of major/minor. The pianist enters whisperingly with a calm lyrical feeling. An oboe solo passage evolves into a piano theme over a sustained bassoon tone. Ms. Uchida continues, sustained by violin pizizcati, to a ravishing cadenza.
In the Larghetto, the pianist commences with playing of incredible refinement. The horns introduce the ensemble, and all seems right with the world. Unfortunately, just as Ms. Uchida was communing with Mozart in a hushed piano solo, an usher came clomping down the aisle to reprimand someone in the second row for filming - or some other infraction - and then clomped back up. I know that order needs to be maintained, but there are moments when one has to use better judgement. The music's spell was broken, though a duetting flute and piano passage did much to restore the reverential atmosphere.
The last movement, Allegro, is in Rondo form with two cadenzas. Here Ms Uchida's elegant playing reached rhapsodic heights. We continued to savor the musicality and commitment of the Mahler Chamber Orchestra, but even as the music was drawing to a finish, a couple of audience members made early, very distracting exits. The concerto rushed on to a brilliant conclusion, leaving the crowd cheering ecstatically. A young man raced down the aisle to offer Ms. Uchida a bouquet, reminding me of myself some sixty years ago.
~ Oberon