Uchida, Mitsuko

When Mitsuko Uchida performs Schubert and Schumann, the results are transcendent; the same is also true of her performances of works from the Second Viennese School. The beloved pianist performs Schumann’s ultra-Romantic Piano Sonata No. 1 in F-sharp Minor, Berg’s youthful Piano Sonata, and Schubert’s Four Impromptus, D. 899. Despite the title, there is nothing improvisatory about Schubert’s work. Brilliantly contrasted, each impromptu is in a different key and conjures its own unique mood: The first has a march-like rhythm and a songlike theme, the second and fourth are technically stunning, and the third is sweetly meditative.