I am currently in Shropshire (near Wales, UK) for two weeks working at a Summer piano school and music festival called PIANO WEEK. I’ve been coaching pianists both young and old, through workshops, presentations, piano and composition classes. It’s certainly a most enjoyable opportunity and I relish the chance to meet a wonderful group of like-minded students and teachers. Because I am away, I thought the following YouTube video may be of interest; it’s a lecture recital given by the renowned Japanese pianist Mitsuko Uchida.
Uchida gave this fascinating illustrated lecture at Oxford University last year. Her topic: How they differ, comparing two major piano concertos: Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4 in G Major Op. 58 and Mozart’s Piano Concerto in C Major K. 503 in memory of the late Lord Weidenfeld who founded the Weidenfeld-Hoffmann Scholarships and Leadership Programme, and the Humanitas Visiting Professorships at Oxford and Cambridge.
My publications:
For much more information about how to practice piano repertoire, take a look at my piano course, Play it again: PIANO (published by Schott Music). Covering a huge array of styles and genres, the course features a large collection of progressive, graded piano repertoire from approximately Grade 1 to advanced diploma level, with copious practice tips for every piece. A convenient and beneficial course for students of any age, with or without a teacher, and it can also be used alongside piano examination syllabuses too.
You can find out more about my other piano publications and compositions here.
Granted, I have not heard as many masterclasses as would be desired, but this is quite possibly the most exciting and informative masterclass I’ve ever heard. Early in the presentation I had the sensation that Uchida was merely an extension of the piano, that the piano was embodied within Uchida; they are one and the same. Thus, it was most interesting when she later described her musical experiences as so physical, too. Thank you so much for sharing this masterclass with us.