Mitsuko Uchida’s 2025 live performance of the late Beethoven sonatas (Op. 109–111) arrives almost two decades after her studio recording for Decca, and it carries the added weight of being her final account of these works. Her choice of Suntory Hall marks a homecoming: she has played there since the hall’s opening season in 1986, and remains its only Associate Artist.
The gap between the two readings naturally raises the question of how much her interpretations have developed. If we go by Op. 109, things have indeed changed: not a drastic pivot, but an amplification of certain aspects.
The 2006 reading already had an appreciable fluidity, but in the newer Vivace (track 1) Uchida makes more unabashed pauses and rubatos that still fit naturally into the music. Some of the urgency of the earlier second movement has turned into greater dramatic power here, and the attention to articulation and secondary voices is never sacrificed.
The temperament of the final movement (track 3) can vary considerably depending on the tempo of the opening theme. Where Serkin and Gilels move more slowly and evoke contemplation, Uchida is brisker than either of them, and her pace captures the cantabile of Beethoven’s marking. In the variations that follow, a deep familiarity reveals itself in her ability to balance forward motion against the emphasis the grandest moments need.
Op. 110 comes alive through contrast. Uchida uses Beethoven’s textures to shift between lyricism and resonance. The arpeggios at the start of the Moderato cantabile (track 4), leading up to the second theme, are a prime example: they begin as shimmering filigree and morph into a resplendent presence — perhaps a fitting representation of the vocal and orchestral sides she brings out throughout. The Scherzo carries a much higher degree of austerity and insistence than the 2006 Decca version, though both readings remain entirely valid.
The Adagio (track 6) reveals a performer who understands the profundity of late Beethoven: the desperation, the melancholy with its sharp poignancy, the gravitas of internal conflict and weariness. What is most captivating is her ability to convey the rawness of these sentiments in a live setting.
Uchida’s Fuga (track 7) proves more multidimensional than many. The switch from minor to major is subtle, and it gives her room to explore the quieter sides of the fugue before it spins into something much larger. Even in the softest playing nothing sounds hurried. Pauses are placed to maximize dynamic contrast while delineating the intricacies of Beethoven’s structure.
Mitsuko Uchida. Photo © Justin Pumfrey / Decca.
Although it moves slightly slower at times than her previous interpretation, the new Op. 111 (tracks 8–9) embodies the severity and boldness of the Maestoso marking. The urgency of the prior account has developed into an equally compelling adamance.
The calmness of the Arietta feels like an arrival after a long journey. The same weighty substance carries into the variations, which works for the most part, though the syncopated variation at 6’40” could take a touch more rhythmic vitality. What emerges most strongly, though, is the intricacy of the tender moments, which linger in their transcendence.
The engineers have kept audience noise to a minimum, and the piano is captured with enough clarity to register its tone and regulation. As a final account of these sonatas this is a distinguished one, and the culmination of Uchida’s long engagement with them.
Recommended Comparisons
Uchida (2006) | Pollini | Serkin | Goode
Album Details |
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|---|---|
| Album name | Beethoven: The Last Three Piano Sonatas, Opp. 109, 110 and 111 (Live at Suntory Hall) |
| Label | Decca |
| Catalogue No. | 4872064 |
| Artists | Mitsuko Uchida (piano) |
| Recorded | Live at Suntory Hall, Tokyo, 28 and 30 October 2025 |
| Release date | 24 July 2026 |
