Search - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Mitsuko Uchida :: Mozart: Piano & Violin Sonatas [Hybrid SACD]

Brilliant

JMB1014 | USA | 07/19/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Mitsuko Uchida has made a name for herself playing all the Mozart sonatas and concerti for piano, as well as Schubert piano works and an underappreciated CD of Schumann's Kreisleriana and Carnaval, among other things. Now she is breaking new ground as an accompanist. After a highly successful recording of Schubert's "Die Schone Mullerin" with Ian Bostridge, Ms. Uchida has essayed a gorgeous set of some of Mozart's more delicious piano and violin sonatas with Mark Steinberg of the Brentano string quartet - an energetic and rising young ensemble. Mr. Steinberg has a number of other recordings to his credit, including Schumann chamber music. He has also prepared the notes for this edition, which are far from the arid, technical remarks one often sees. He may overwrite, but he gives a lot to think about. The recording is lush and sparkling on this Philips hybrid SACD. (You can listen to it on any CD player, however.) There are of course many other competing recordings of Mozart's violin sonatas, but this one is special. The playing is elegant, nuanced and expressive. I cannot recommend it highly enough. Just pick out a sonata and sit back and listen. These are gems of the repertoire and lovingly rendered."

Why release this as SACD?

L. Harris | Winter Haven, FL USA | 09/06/2008

(2 out of 5 stars)

"The performances are nice, but the quality of the recording is awful. There's noise (and I don't mean studio noise) in the background, the piano sounds like it's wrapped in a blanket, and the violin sounds far away and muddy. And it's not multichannel. Even a moderately well done CD would put this disc to shame. Waste of SACD technology and my money."