Mitsuko Uchida & Esa-Pekka Salonen
Mitsuko Uchida, Esa-Pekka Salonen
Los Angeles Philharmonic, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Mitsuko Uchida
Walt Disney Concert HallSouth Hope Street, Los Angeles 90012
Mitsuko Uchida joins conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen and the Los Angeles Philharmonic for a program that marks their first collaboration in more than 20 years. Uchida is the piano soloist in Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G, a bright, jaunty work shaped by jazz inflections and, as Ravel put it, intended to “dispense with drama and depth.” Salonen opens with his 12-minute LA Phil commission Tiu, a palindrome-style fanfare, then leads Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique after intermission: the composer’s kaleidoscopic account of an artist’s love-obsessed delirium and opium-fueled nightmares.
Uchida is described by the LA Phil as one of the most revered musicians of her time. In its response to her playing, Bachtrack praised her “lightness of touch and purity of tone,” saying that these qualities bring delicacy to a concerto often associated with drive and high spirits. This appearance reunites her with Salonen and the orchestra for the first time in over two decades, placing Ravel’s sharply characterized concerto between Salonen’s own concise opening statement and Berlioz’s expansive fever dream.
Designed by Frank Gehry, this concert hall is a striking architectural landmark with sweeping stainless steel curves that catch the light outside, while inside, its acoustics are meticulously crafted to deliver rich, clear sound to every seat. The auditorium seats over two thousand people in a space where the audience is fully immersed in the music, surrounded by warm wood paneling and a stage that brings performers close to listeners. The venue hosts ticketed performances by the Los Angeles Philharmonic and other ensembles, offering an evening focused on attentive listening rather than casual socializing. Nearby bars and restaurants in Downtown Los Angeles provide options for pre- or post-show dining, but inside, the experience centers on the music in a refined, elegant setting.