Mitsuko Uchida on Schumann's Piano Concerto

Mitsuko Uchida in conversation with Sarah Willis, horn player of the Berliner Philharmoniker / Recorded on the occasion of a performance with the Berliner Philharmoniker and Sir Simon Rattle, 13 February 2009.
Watch Mitsuko Uchida playing Schumann's Piano Concerto here on KZbin: • Schumann: Piano Concer...
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[@classicalphx6452]

Through a great friend I was able to meet Mitsuku after a Carnegie Hall concert this past June. When I brought my CD up to be signed I told her how she inspired me to play again. She looked up, right into my eyes and said, "It is such a joy to play! Just to play! Out there [the stage] it's different, but just to play!" This woman is my idol. Love her!

[@brockpetrie3980]

I could listen to her speak for hours... Her passion is hypnotic.

[@manuelspcool]

I have listened her speaking Japanese, German and English, She speaks the Japanese perfectly, the German like a Viennese lady, and the English like a lovely brittish lady with a little German accent =)

[@louisvalencia5244]

A very light german accent. Tocayo.

[@ThePaulNaka]

she has a great knowledge of music history and despite of other artists that are so unreachable she looks kind, funny and a very natural woman. She opened my eyes playing Mozart.

[@jarabaa]

Unbelievable. I have never seen her speak. She is every bit as inspiring, compelling, fascinating, transcendent as in her playing. What a revelation. What an enchanting human being.

[@bbqrainbow]

im not very intelligent in music but I know brilliance, passion, and intensity when I hear it. This woman is so awesome

[@preopdollop]

Such an intoxicating person....woman AND artist! the world needs more dedicated and slighty mad people, like her... thanks Mitsuko! xx

[@kennethc4391]

Oh, my God! This woman!

[@lazydreamereyes]

She is so compelling to watch and listen to. I could probably listen to her wax on the brilliance of great pianists past til I die.

[@quinto34]

People like Uchida make me so darn music hungry..

[@shibadoggie11]

I heard her voice for the first time. She IS one cool artist. She looks happy in the interview. I love her Mozart's piano works.

[@metallwater]

I would and wish I could remain listening to her forever....talking about music and everything else!

[@konigstephan]

This has to be one of the best interviews on the Net - *all* genres included ::-))

[@corner559]

+konigstephan She is just amazing.

[@bernardrossignon516]

Oui, je suis d'accord avec votre enthousiasme, son niveau 'analyse est peu commun.

[@chidlers99]

What a riveting, compelling, fascinating and beautiful lady! thanks for this post.

[@manuelspcool]

yeah she isn't just a big pianist she's the most interesting person and that's coz she loves music

[@billducker7404]

Lovely. Loved what you said very moving. I love his piano concerto. He was a great orchestrator despite what some say! The phantasiestucke are also great too. God bless you. Love your playing and teaching! Bill. Uk 🙏🎹🎹

[@Alix777.]

I love this woman

[@lmaka1]

She's a little nuts in a good way, haha. One cannot fake that kind of passion Actually I find her intensity very sexy. If only she were 25 years younger, :). It's obvious that she approaches her pieces with the utmost dedication--in order to delve into the deepest secrets of both music and composer. And for that she deserves great respect.

[@absurdplanet]

Uchida was born in Japan--moved to Austria as a child with her family, attended conservatory there, and has lived in London since the 70's. Her father was a diplomat from Japan;.

[@aminuali7175]

Simply Elegant❤

[@Johannes_Brahms65]

Mrs. Uchida is not only very learned and sophisticated but also totally disarming and lovable!

[@angeloorlando6576]

E' di una bravura sconcertante, tra le più grandi pianiste mai esistite

[@her0esfan]

Wow, so great to get the insights of performers, we should hear these kinds of things more often.

[@ezyrod]

These two should run the world!!!!!!!! Brilliant

[@andrewanderson6121]

Check out her amazing recording of the Debussy etudes--and the long interview about these works.

[@berlinphil]

@jlcel0818ya: She talks about the Hungarian composer György Kurtág.

[@cpthornman]

Power to the horn players!! Best horn section on the planet!!! What Berlin is doing with this new age of information is quite staggering and is really changing how we see a world class orchestra. Fantastic job Berlin and don't stop!!!

[@berlinphil]

@thinkbigize She is talking about the conductor Kurt Sanderling.

[@U38066]

@jerrytomball Totally agree... I was also impressed at the moment!

[@aomf58]

Very attractive, wonderful person.

[@berlinphil]

You can find many more interviews of that kind in our Digital Concert Hall. And they are all free!

[@wnsbug]

OMG SHE SPEAKS EXACTLY LIKE I IMAGINED HER TO SPEAK!!!!!!

[@kev7978]

She is so cool. :D

[@yossiban]

what a lady!!

[@berlinphil]

@djurban I would say the names are Debussy, Ravel, Messiaen and Boulez.

[@stelderhaiderman]

Love the concert...

[@berlinphil]

@kaisersweeta No problem - take a look at the KZbin video TOKcktvmk5o

[@LIYINA1]

Yes.I love her feeling to Piano.She is very much so good friend.

[@OperaLover84]

What a neat person! As a side -- I think Japanese speaking voices which have a hint of a British accent are so cool to listen to.

[@snowcarriagechengcheng-hun3454]

I haven't understood till now that we could find Clara's name in Schumann's piano concerto. I mean, it might be true that Schumann suffered psychological disease in his lifetime. However, we could hard to deny that many of his masterpieces were born from this disease. That might be why his music, though is not as abstract as Schoenberg's, is still difficult to understand.

[@raymondgood2359]

his masterpieces were born in spite of his many afflictions- alcohol abuse, neuro cerebral syphilis, paranoia, manic depressive episodes, schizophrenia

[@srothbardt]

I wish she would record more Schumann since she plays his music so well.

[@alexanderzero5752]

Haha this lady is awesome.

[@Seleuce]

Same way we learned that Mozart was a piano master and Beethoven: From records of people of their time who have heard them play.

[@OldRabit]

Appreciate this.

[@AnarchoHumanist]

@steinway6603 I believe so. Schumann is particularly known for his motives deriving from the German musical alphabet.

[@djurban]

Could you tell me what was the name She mentioned at 6:14 - that She also plays ____ ?

[@kaisersweeta]

I wanted to see her playing.

[@bbqrainbow]

@Cienstin Well I don't know any of the "mechanics" of music and I don't even play an instrument. I'm not skilled in music but I can appreciate it.

[@jdbrown371]

Her voice is very interesting.

[@orannisthedestroyer]

she's so cool :)

[@bbqrainbow]

@maxerdob Thank you for the kind words ^_^ I realize I should have worded that differently (I'm not very educated when it comes to music etc), but my grammar really sucks. I'm more of a medicine and science kinda guy. I was also too mesmerized by Uchida's awesomeness hehe

[@thinkbigize]

who does she mention that it was an event for his 90th birthday? Kwat Sanderlig? Can't find the name anywhere.

[@robertmcinnes7901]

kurt sanderling

[@MrInterestingthings]

Where !Boulez and Kurtag ! I'd like to see her recital programmes . Berg Sonata she recorded Webern Var. but Boulez ! Oh we''d like to see and hear her . Messiaen Oiseaux Exotiques ??? She does it all. Never heard her in Ravel either . Does she allow radio broadcasts . Amazing to hear this ! Her in Bach no.5 . Oh well ! So much more to her repertoire than one knows .

[@preopdollop]

@omatsu123 .... i agree, and there IS good madness! :))

[@JosephineYoko]

@preopdollop "intoxicating person" I like the way you describe her. Only good person brings good madness.

[@0casteloencantado0]

i'm writing a book on clara schumann. make sure you all buy it when it comes out!!

[@0casteloencantado0]

i've always wondered if concert musicians listen to concert music at home, in their private lives. anyone wishes to enlighten me?

[@Brightstar27]

@AltaicPride01 I think they're friends as they have played together before.

[@ThePaulNaka]

@0casteloencantado0 I suposse they do. I study music. I´m also a pianist (no cencertist) and of course, I listen the pieces I have to play at home and other kinds of classical music. I guess they also do.

[@iamstoned4life]

That holds true for a job in which you don't put effort and most importantly passion into. However, as a concert musician you have to really love what you are doing. Therefore I would imagine them listening to pieces which they also perform.

[@nogi2608]

She speaks English like a British with German accent.

[@tfpp1]

@mitrumpetplaya Yeah, it's like Japanese, British, German, and French all at once!

[@bobsmith-ov3kn]

The auto-translate from German back to english is really quite hilarious juxtaposed with listening to what shes actually saying

[@manuelspcool]

I wanna heard Her speak German and Japanese = )

[@NickBottom]

you trust you mean ms. willis

[@0casteloencantado0]

since it is their job to play a certain piece, of course i know they listen to it in particular. what i meant to ask was if they listened to other types of concert music other than what their job requires or if they don't really care for that music. so many musicians seem to start at a rather young age and i don't know if ALL of them listen to it for pleasure.

[@derek44344]

i never liked her until now wat an interesting and beautiful person

[@nickstoli]

I don't know how this happens, but if I were told she and Stephen Fry were blood siblings, I'd probably believe it.

[@corner559]

+Bruce Lee I don't know, but I do know that even if she were teaching basket weaving, she seems like she'd be the kind of teacher that would make you love it and appreciate it.

[@SpaghettiToaster]

Hi Everyone She's an actively touring concert pianist, I doubt she would have time for teaching?

[@pedro_taam]

Probably because she was surrounded by German, then Uchida's british accent influenced her.

[@bbqrainbow]

the interviewer cant finish her sentences at times lol

[@whatadamnusername]

This is weird. Sarah started off with a German accent, then slowly went into a British accent ... and she's American. ?

[@chrish12345]

er sorry I was just responding to your comments that's all, best wishes.

[@yamahaU3]

Is it just me or does she have a very posh English accent?

[@iamstoned4life]

No, they listen to dubstep and snoop dogg... Dude, what do you think? lol

[@chrish12345]

Exactly, because we can't hear him play we rely on records of others (who are they, are they qualified to judge?), and heresay. It is 'common knowledge' that he hurt his hand on a Dactylion - this is now being thrown into serious doubt by scholars. Have you actually researched where the rumours of Schumann's pianistic abilities came from? Also how do you define a 'master' pianist. Most people would dimiss the playing of Edwin Fischer yet he is regarded very very highly by professional pianists.

[@2009xellos]

The only reason why Schumann didn't manage to become a great piano virtuoso is because he injured his fingers/hands while trying on his hands, devices that are attached to the hand to improve his piano-playing ability.

[@chrish12345]

I'm sure there are millions of people going around today saying that Michael Jackson was the greatest musician of the 20th century...

[@Seleuce]

You want to discuss? Please write to Mrs Uchida and ask her why she would assert such a scandalous claim in public. I for myself do not feel the need to start yet another of those silly KZbin comment fights. Much rather I watch videos here. Have a nice day and good luck.

[@chrish12345]

I'd like to know how on earth she knows Schumann wasn't a great pianist

[@raymondgood2359]

clara's father thought he had the potential to be one of the best

[@0casteloencantado0]

some players might consider their job just a job, no?

[@0casteloencantado0]

Kurtág