PROGRAMME
BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 4

Programme also includes SHOSTAKOVICH Symphony No. 15

PERFORMING WITH
Boston Symphony Orchestra
Andris Nelsons, conductor

Mitsuko Uchida has, from an early age, been considered a standout interpreter of Beethoven. The Fourth is considered the first of Beethoven’s piano concertos to depart from the format prescribed by Mozart (an orchestral introduction with a dramatic solo entrance). The concerto’s opening lets the instrument speak for itself — intimately and delicately so—to lead the way for the rest of the ensemble. Shostakovich’s Fifteenth Symphony is his last symphony and is full of quotations, codes, clues, and ambiguity. This is an experience defying description that invites the listener to create their own personal interpretation.

PROGRAMME
BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 4

Programme also includes SHOSTAKOVICH Symphony No. 15

PERFORMING WITH
Boston Symphony Orchestra
Andris Nelsons, conductor

Mitsuko Uchida has, from an early age, been considered a standout interpreter of Beethoven. The Fourth is considered the first of Beethoven’s piano concertos to depart from the format prescribed by Mozart (an orchestral introduction with a dramatic solo entrance). The concerto’s opening lets the instrument speak for itself — intimately and delicately so—to lead the way for the rest of the ensemble. Shostakovich’s Fifteenth Symphony is his last symphony and is full of quotations, codes, clues, and ambiguity. This is an experience defying description that invites the listener to create their own personal interpretation.

PROGRAMME TO INCLUDE
Beethoven: Sonata in E minor, Op. 90
Schubert: Sonata in B-flat, D. 960

VENUE NOTE:

After dedicating herself to the demanding Diabelli Variations, pushing her interpretation of one of Beethoven’s most fascinating creations to the limit – along with Schubert and Mozart, the centrepiece of her career – the accomplished pianist Mitsuko Uchida asked herself what the next challenge should be. She found an answer in the last piano sonatas by the German composer, whose genius she says lies in “his absolutely grandiose vision of the universe”. At Gulbenkian Music, Uchida will perform Beethoven’s Sonatas No. 27, combining it with one of Schubert’s final three masterpieces in the genre.

PROGRAMME TO INCLUDE
Beethoven: Sonata in E minor, Op. 90
Schubert: Sonata in B-flat, D. 960

VENUE NOTE:

Mitsuko Uchida is the grande dame of the piano – and one of the Berliner Philharmoniker’s  close artistic companions. Her elegant, gripping and sensitive playing makes her an ideal interpreter of the piano works of Ludwig van Beethoven and Franz Schubert. In the final concert of our piano series, we will hear her perform Beethoven’s Piano Sonata in E minor, which journeys between contemplative calm and passionate forward momentum, as well as Schubert’s last sonata – a work full of intense emotions: sometimes rapturous and reflective, sometimes comforting; and at times, offering a terrifying glimpse into a psychological abyss.

PROGRAMME TO INCLUDE
Beethoven: Sonata in E minor, Op. 90
Schubert: Sonata in B-flat, D. 960

VENUE NOTE:

Celebrated pianist Mitsuko Uchida delivers a stunning recital featuring Beethoven and Schubert.

For years, Mitsuko Uchida has ranked among the elite global pianists, consistently praised for her exquisite touch, particularly in her Schubert interpretations—a sentiment echoed by BR‐Klassik who lauded her as the “grande dame of delicate tones.” At her latest performance in the Kulturpalast, a venue known to favor the world’s finest pianists (recent performers include Hélène Grimaud and Igor Levit), Schubert’s works were again featured prominently. Uchida performed the B‐flat major sonata, a pinnacle of Schubert’s piano compositions, finished tragically at his premature age of 31. Uchida openly expresses her profound connection to Viennese classical music and German‐Austrian piano literature, stating, “Every day I spend playing Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, and contemporary pieces feels like an extraordinary gift. It is my slice of heaven.” Allow her unparalleled aura to transport you to these celestial heights!

PROGRAMME TO INCLUDE
Beethoven: Sonata in E minor, Op. 90
Schubert: Sonata in B-flat, D. 960

VENUE NOTE:

Als Kind verließ sie ihre japanische Heimat und kam nach Österreich – und damit in eine neue Welt. In Wien ausgebildet, entwickelte sich Mitsuko Uchida zu einer Pianistin von Weltrang. Ihre Begeisterung für die Wiener Musik begleitet sie bis heute.

Wie tief kann man in manche Ozeane eintauchen? »Unendlich«, sagt Mitsuko Uchida und meint damit vor allem die Sonaten von Franz Schubert und Ludwig van Beethoven. »Es sind allerdings völlig verschiedene Klangwelten.« Trotz ihrer reichen Bühnenerfahrung begegnet Uchida den großen Werken der Klavierliteratur so sensibel wie am ersten Tag. »Ich bin heute vielleicht mutiger, aber in einem anderen Sinne als in meinen ersten Jahren.« Mit ihrem ›Wiener Blut‹ kommt sie den Geheimnissen dieser Musik ganz sicher auf die Spur …

Gefördert vom Kuratorium KölnMusik e.V.

PROGRAMME TO INCLUDE
Beethoven: Sonata in E minor, Op. 90
Schubert: Sonata in B-flat, D. 960

VENUE NOTE:

The programme features Beethoven and Schubert, two composers with whom the Grammy award-winning musician has made a name for herself around the world. Beethoven’s famous Sonata Op. 90 is captivating for its great musical contrasts: while a restless motion carries through the passionate first movement, the lyrical second movement, with its song-like beauty in parts, is already headed distinctly in the direction of Schubert.

Mitsuko Uchida then brings one of the most important piano works ever to the stage, namely his final piano sonata. In this deeply inward-looking and touching music, the romantic composer seems to leave space and time behind him – in ways rapturous and melancholic, dramatic and comforting all at the same time. Repertoire classics in a top line-up – making this a piano recital straight off the wish list.