Warm and Free-Spirited Impromptus
A Classical Fan | New York, NY USA | 01/20/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Schubert's Impromptus show free-sprited and romantic side of Schubert, and also it is free from the shadow of Beethven, by which Schubert sometimes felt pressured in his piano sonatas. Mitsuko Uchida maximizes this quality without losing spontaneity. Her tone is light and soft, yet it's got an enough weight which intelligently frames each piece. The recording sound of the piano itself is very soft to create more personal atmosphere. There are many great recordings of Schubert Impromptus by such greats as Kempff, Perahia, Brendel, Schiff, Richter etc. Uchida's Impromptu certainly joins these, but with more personal and softer touch than those guys' austere and more objective Impromptus. I strongly recommend this disc to anyone."
Wonderful Schubert
Amy | 07/31/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"There are quite a few alternatives, too many perhaps, to consider when one is about to chose a recording of Schubert's two sets of impromptus. I have my self five or six, and among these Mitsuko Uchida's addition to my collection is by far the best. Not even the accounts of great Schubert interpreters like Clifford Curzon or Wilhelm Kempff can, in my opinon, compete with Uchida's recording on Philips. In the opening bars of the c-minor impromptu, Uchida raises your expectations to the almost unreasonable, not one note is left without the most careful and nuanced attention. The second impromptu in E flat is the most frustrating for a pianist to encounter, as it so often becomes monotonous in its long wanderings. Although I feel that Uchida is more on familiar ground in the other impromptus, the E flat is never stripped of its dynamic and elegant flow. The impromptu in G flat is my favorite from Schubert, very relaxing to play and listen to. The wonderful Bflat impromptu is another highlight on this disc. The variations over a theme are on one hand given attention on their individual characteristics, but never at the cost of the piece as a whole. There are more than certain traces of Richter's influence here, but nevertheless this is Schubert by way of Mitsuko Uchida.
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One of Uchida's best recordings
Santa Fe Listener | Santa Fe, NM USA | 08/22/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"It would seem from the scarce response to this recording that Mitsuko Uchida isn't a favorite at Amazon. But anyone who stumbles across her 1996 reading of the eight Schubert Impromptus will certianly fall in love with these sublime works, and Uchida's playing of them is limpid and delicate. Often I find her too mannered in Schubert, whose style was above all natural, and there are moments when she adds a touch of hesitation that breaks up a phrase. But this quirk is kept to a minimum, and with such good paino sound from Philips, I'd rate this CD as one of her best."
Track Listings (8) - Disc #1
