0:54 Interviewer - What are you practicing? 0:57 Uchida - Repetitions! I look one more time at how the instrument repeats, how I repeat, BUT in the piece, for example, when this (here) appears: *begins playing* It is not like: *plays notes* To repeat itself is not that bad. But the position...the melody is there. TITATUHTITAH.... the repetition is secondary here, in the music. But, in this position, one must do these evil stretches and somehow manage to do it pianissimo and beautifully. 1:42 Uchida - ... and that is very difficult. *plays* 1:45 Interviewer - can you play a part of it? 1:53 Uchida - the worst moment is here. From here until... 2:00 U - then it is gone. I - how long is the piece? U - the whole piece is about 4 minutes. But this is just one place, the place takes about 7, 8 seconds. And then it is *plays some more* already something different. 2:15 - I - and there, what is the problem? U - To jump! To jump and to play pianissimo is difficult. 2:26 U- Debussy wants everything always so quiet and so light, and fleeting and in a flying manner, I have the feeling. And that is hard. 2:35 U- But that is one of these technical problems that make it difficult to say what Debussy really wanted to say in an etude. 2:45 I- Is it about the mechanical training of the fingers? U- No.... he had the condition... he required the condition that the human being could play the piano. That is, when one really does practice on the piano *plays thirds* 3:00 U- ... so that the fingers separates, or that other way *plays more thirds*. These are like the Pischner(?) and Hanon's (?) and like all the Haydn's (?). All these things... this one here is not like that. He [Debussy] requires that one can play chromatics *plays chromatic scale*, and all of that. 3:21 U- but when he says "chromatic etude", then it is not a exercise of the chromatic, but rather... I would say, flexibility...*plays* and for example...*plays some more* 3:40 U- that.. is one of the worst passages in the entire etudes - this must be pianissimo. I have worked through my fingerings such a way... 3:54 U- One time I had 5.4.3.2... and than this, and than over there. That is one possibility. Or... 4:02 U- Or... this looks acrobatic, but at least one is then in a better position to play that. 4:12 U- but, when you put this in... *plays* one must to jump from the A, which is just like a gong, BOM BOM... and here we have the melodic line, therefore one must pull something out of that, one must sing. 4:37 U- and one plays then *plays*. This is dreadful. I - Can something like that always work during the concert? U- No. One hopes so. When one has a superb, beautiful feeling, and when one finds himself to be at one's best, then it happens perhaps. To me it happened few times. 5:05 U- And one practices and pratices and tries... and then he comes to another piano and it happens, happens that he must practice everything from the beginning. 5:13 I- Did Debussy have another instrument for that? U- A lighter one. Much lighter. Specially when you look at the problem of today's concert grands, the difference is huge. We play in such long, big instruments, that out of necessity, became bigger... bigger strings, and it must be louder. Everything is much heavier, and the keys.. 5:36 U- ... I mean, compared to Debussy's time, it is not that big of a difference. But compared to Chopin's time, there is a enormous difference. The keyboards that Chopin first had were so shallow, and the keys were so light. I have played one of these. It is delightful to play etudes on them. 5:54 U- But, for example, these one *points to the piano* is seemingly almost two times heavier than the instrument that Chopin himself used to play.
As a native german I can say that very few non europeans reach a mastery in german language comparable to Mitsukos. Her german is very idiomatic, balanced, and even the slight austrian or sometimes french accent is very charming. As for the interviewer, his apparent restriction is likely for not showing that he fell in love with her. If you compare with other Mitsuko interviews you can see that here she feels really understood and is happy to be asked intelligent questions.
+Rainer Langlotz she almost lived all her life in Austria right? or maybe I'm wrong, but her father was Japanese ambassador in Austria. I agree with you that interviewer was good and much better than other interviewers she had met
true, and she is a pleasure to listen to. pretty & precise! her hand is strong, yet light. powerful & delicate. a wonderful pianist, in the top 10 living! (those 10 being all incredibly gifted/accomplished to the max)!!!
Yes she grew up in Wien since her low teen. She is a daughter of ambassador. I heard she can also fluent in French. She only accept the interviewer who REALLY can speak about music. I like her interviews!
Most of her childhood she was raised in Austria by Japanese parents, her German sounds phenominally close to native Austrian. :) Yes, she's quite a unique character, wonderful human being. :)
OMG!! She is just amazing! She is one of the greatest pianist & also fluent in German. too? WOW! I am totally impressed! She is not gorgeous but very very charming. I love her!^_^
I have her recording of the 12 etudes...the BEST Debussy recording ever!!! I wish she would actually do more Debussy, as a break from all the Austro-German repertoire she always focuses on.
I've seen videos of her speaking Japanese and English. Now I've seen her speak German! This is amazing. :D I met her on Friday at Severance Hall. :) She's so nice! I'll never forget that day. :)
amazing.what a treasure to have her discussing some of the most fascinating & diificult piano music.what will she reveal pedal,finger,wrist difficulties,balance texturaletc.and we get her in theChopin thirds etude to boot .Oh this is a dream and watching her passionate speech is a joy in itself.
Mitsuko, der Prof Hauser wäre stolz auf Dich! Ich selbst bin zwar ein Schüler von Dieter Weber, der mit Dir den 2. Preis beim Beethoven Wettbewerb teilte, aber Du bist eine große Künstlerin geworden - zu meiner Freude!
2:26 U- Debussy wants everything always so quiet and so light, and fleeting and in a flying manner, I have the feeling. And that is hard. 2:35 U- But that is one of these technical problems that make it difficult to say what Debussy really wanted to say in an etude. 2:45 I- Is it about the mechanical training of the fingers? U- No.... he had the condition... he required the condition that the human being could play the piano. That is, when one really does practice on the piano *plays thirds*
5:36 U- ... I mean, compared to Debussy's time, it is not that big of a difference. But compared to Chopin's time, there is a enormous difference. The keyboards that Chopin first had were so shallow, and the keys were so light. I have played one of these. It is delightful to play etudes on them. 5:54 U- But, for example, these one *points to the piano* is seemingly almost two times heavier than the instrument that Chopin himself used to play.
I can't understand the German, but I can read the Japanese. Her knowledge and insight are marvelous. I'd like to translate; if I find the time to do so, perhaps I will post it, or find a way to caption this video.
1:42 Uchida - ... and that is very difficult. *plays* 1:45 Interviewer - can you play a part of it? 1:53 Uchida - the worst moment is here. From here until... 2:00 U - then it is gone. I - how long is the piece? U - the whole piece is about 4 minutes. But this is just one place, the place takes about 7, 8 seconds. And then it is *plays some more* already something different. 2:15 - I - and there, what is the problem? U - To jump! To jump and to play pianissimo is difficult.
0:54 Interviewer - What are you practicing? 0:57 Uchida - Repetitions! I look one more time at how the instrument repeats, how I repeat, BUT in the piece, for example, when this (here) appears: *begins playing* It is not like: *plays notes* To repeat itself is not that bad. But the position...the melody is there. TITATUHTITAH.... the repetition is secondary here, in the music. But, in this position, one must do these evil stretches and somehow manage to do it pianissimo and beautifully.
5:05 U- And one practices and pratices and tries... and then he comes to another piano and it happens, happens that he must practice everything from the beginning. 5:13 I- Did Debussy have another instrument for that? U- A lighter one. Much lighter. Specially when you look at the problem of today's concert grands, the difference is huge. We play in such long, big instruments, that out of necessity, became bigger... bigger strings, and it must be louder. Everything is much heavier, and the keys..
Is there an english translation of this somewhere? I'd love to hear what's she's saying here because I'm interested in these etudes but there doesn't seem to be much of a translation. She seems to talk about them in great detail as well, I feel like I'm being mocked! All the more reason to learn German I suppose.
3:00 U- ... so that the fingers separates, or that other way *plays more thirds*. These are like the Pischner(?) and Hanon's (?) and like all the Haydn's (?). All these things... this one here is not like that. He [Debussy] requires that one can play chromatics *plays chromatic scale*, and all of that. 3:21 U- but when he says "chromatic etude", then it is not a exercise of the chromatic, but rather... I would say, flexibility...*plays* and for example...*plays some more*
4:12 U- but, when you put this in... *plays* one must to jump from the A, which is just like a gong, BOM BOM... and here we have the melodic line, therefore one must pull something out of that, one must sing. 4:37 U- and one plays then *plays*. This is dreadful. I - Can something like that always work during the concert? U- No. One hopes so. When one has a superb, beautiful feeling, and when one finds himself to be at one's best, then it happens perhaps. To me it happened few times.
3:40 U- that.. is one of the worst passages in the entire etudes - this must be pianissimo. I have worked through my fingerings such a way... 3:54 U- One time I had 5.4.3.2... and than this, and than over there. That is one possibility. Or... 4:02 U- Or... this looks acrobatic, but at least one is then in a better position to play that.
