Title : Itzhak Perlman - Great Romantic Concertos ~ Beethoven, Bach, Bruch, Mendelsshon, Paganini, Tchaikowsky
Author : Brahms, Johannes
Release Date : 19931207
Binding : Audio CD
Regular Price : $32.98
Amazon.com Price : $28.50
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Buyer Reviews : This collection of concertos provides the perfect medium for Perlman to express his technical and musical virtuosity. The Beethoven, while conspicuously lacking the bravura element, is fiercely demanding of the soloist's tone and phrasing; Perlman rises up to the level flawlessly, but he does not stop there. The other concerti, while megalithic in their technical demands, are more forgiving musically; this is true especially with the Paganini concerto. Perlman, however, makes them as musically complex as the Beethoven; he develops the musical depth of these very technical concerti while meeting the technical demands. The ricochet bowing and double-stop harmonics in the Finale of the Paganini are executed without a hitch, and that would probably be enough to wow an audience, but Perlman still attends to the phrasing and sound, taking advantage of the technical facility with which he executes the concerto to develop the work beyond technicality. Without this musical aspect, the Paganini would be nothing more than an etude with orchestral accompaniment. Perlman has shown an affinity for Paginini in his recording of the 24 Caprices, where he takes 24 very difficult etudes and transforms them into mini-masterpieces.
My only complaint in this CD collection is with the Brahms. The first movement of the Brahms is very long, almost as long as that of the Beethoven, yet the orchestra and soloist keep the tempo excruciatingly slow, eliminating the forward momentum needed to drive such a piece. I would recommend getting a recording of Heifetz playing Brahms with the Chicago Symphony, Fritz Reiner conducting. This is the only recording where I have heard Brahms played the way it should be.
