Opposite Mitsuko Uchida's London mews house is her studio containing the concert grands she uses for practising, recording and sometimes public performance, as well as smaller model Steinways and some early pianos. Her interest in 18^th- and 19^th-century instruments is one of the least-known aspects of her musicianship. She has long-standing but so far unfulfilled invitations to play Mozart concertos on an instrument of the period, acceptance of which will depend on her finding the right combination of instrument and venue.

As with everything else in her life, her tastes in leisure activities are precise.

I don't have a car. I don't need a big house with a big garden, or a country house. I have my house, my studio, my pianos, but there are so many things I don't need. I like early Worcester porcelain, and I drink my tea out of that every day. Beyond that the only luxury in my life is red wine. I have been buying mainly Bordeaux. The big change in the British wine market came after 1982, which was a fantastic year. In 1983 they started selling what in French is called 'en primeur', an opening offer, which the Americans call 'wine futures'. You buy it in the barrel before you can taste it. So we started doing that. And by now a lot of good years are becoming mature - the ones we are drinking we could never buy at today's prices. When you have good wine you realise that it's not so much something you have bought as something you must share - but only with people who love wine. Otherwise it's wasted.

If my eyes are still functioning after a day of reading music I love to read. And I play bridge. After reading many bridge books, I still play badly. But now, if things go well, I might play six times a year.

Interview by Brian Hunt