Piano Pick

Tonight at the Boston Symphony Orchestra, I saw the most amazing thing. Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 23 featured renowned classical pianist Mitsuko Uchida, who, according to her website, is “Japanese by birth, trained in Vienna… and is happy to call herself an Englishwoman.” Uchida bounced on stage to great applause and sat at the formable glossy black Steinway. A wisp of a woman wearing loose, colorful crepe clothing, she looked very New Age and relaxed. The orchestra started playing, and Uchida bobbed her head in rhythm, smiling serenely as she waited for her cue. Uchida is most famous for her Mozart concertos, which are well-suited for her crisp, blithe style. The audience tensed in anticipation of Uchida’s entrance into the animated melody. Uchida steadied herself on the stool, faced the keyboard, and then, to the collective horror of Symphony Hall, proceeded to pick her nose. Twice. It was truly the most amazing thing. Perhaps she was getting in touch with her inner Mozart. And then, she played.