The Cleveland Orchestra and Mitsuko Uchida announce the release date of their latest Decca recording project: Mozart's Piano Concertos Nos. 17 (K453) and 25 (K503), which were recorded live at Severance Hall in February 2016. On October 28, 2016 the recording will be available in the United States and internationally. Beginning October 21 it will be available at the Cleveland Orchestra Store; it is currently available for pre-order on Amazon.com here:http://amzn.to/2cYXERH and iTunes here: http://apple.co/2cXrWz1.
"With K453 in G major Mozart opens a new horizon in his piano concertos," says pianist Mitsuko Uchida. "With this lyrical and poignant piece, he began using the woodwinds as solo instruments, almost equal to the piano. This new inspiration reaches its peak with K503 in C major, the grandest of all the concerti, majestic and mysterious. The often asked question which piano concerto of Mozart was my favourite, I have to answer 'The one I am playing today.' But these two come pretty much at the top." A longtime collaborative partner, Ms. Uchida has performed with The Cleveland Orchestra over 100 times since her debut in 1990, in a range of repertory from Mozart and Beethoven to Schoenberg and Messiaen. The newest Mozart recording is part of a series of recordings with The Cleveland Orchestra, following on four previous Mozart releases (details are included below). All feature Ms. Uchida conducting the concertos from the keyboard. During the 2016-17 Severance Hall season, Ms. Uchida will conduct and perform Mozart's Piano Concertos Nos. 13 and 20 on April 6, 7, and 8."The glory of the Cleveland Orchestra remains its balances: the smooth yet complex blend of its winds, the way the lower strings offer subtle depth to the higher ones."
-The New York Times
"Alert yet dreamy, freely bending the tempo throughout, Ms. Uchida was most fascinating in the way she shifted her approach between the concertos. In the earlier work, her sound was pebbly: smooth yet defined. In the latter, her tone was richer, by the end almost organ-like in its amplitude and grandeur. With the orchestra, her relationship was intimate, playful, delightful."
-The New York Times
Recording Details:
The Cleveland Orchestra
Mitsuko Uchida, Conductor and Soloist
Mozart's Piano Concertos Nos. 17 (K453) and 25 (K503)
Previously released Decca recordings of Mozart Piano Concertos with
The Cleveland Orchestra and Mitsuko Uchida:
Piano Concertos 23 & 24 (released September 2009): http://amzn.to/2dexj1o.
Piano Concertos 20 & 27 (released May 2011): http://amzn.to/2dbCRH3.
Piano Concertos 9 ("Jeunehomme") & 21 (released September 2012): http://amzn.to/2d2ZvRs.
Piano Concertos 18 & 19 (released September 2014): http://amzn.to/2d302Ty.
The Cleveland Orchestra's Recording Legacy
The Cleveland Orchestra held its first recording session in 1924 and is one of the most acclaimed and recorded orchestras in the world. The Orchestra's performances have been heard by millions through radio and television broadcasts, on LPs, CDs, DVDs, and via internet downloads and online streaming. Franz Welser-Möst has added to an extensive and widely praised catalog of audio recordings made during the tenures of the ensemble's former music directors. In partnership with Clasart, he has created DVD recordings of live performances of five of Bruckner's symphonies, presented in three acoustically distinctive venues (the Abbey of St. Florian in Austria, Vienna'sMusikverein, and Severance Hall). Another standout Clasart DVD project includes a three-disc set of important Brahms orchestral works (including the complete symphonies, violin concerto, and piano concertos) from live performances at Severance Hall, Royal Albert Hall, and the Musikverein. In 2016 the Orchestra and Welser-Möst made a DVD recording of the Brahms German Requiem at the Abbey of St. Florian, which is set for distribution in Europe in 2016 and the United States in 2017. With Cleveland, he has also released a recording of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony as well as an all-Wagner album featuring soprano Measha Brueggergosman. In addition, the Orchestra has recorded important new albums with longtime guest artists Pierre Boulez and Mitsuko Uchida.
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