Customer Reviews

Bach: Sonatas & Partitas; Itzhak Perlman

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Perman's unbelievable fame tends to obscure the superior accomplishments of others. That's a real pity because interested newcomers to this repretoire will be steered away from the two recordings that tower like giants over all others: those of Henryk Szeryng and Nathan Milstein. Perlman is not in their class. He has, of course, the technical, musical and tonal resources to play these peices beautifully. But his renditions just don't have the overwhelming grandeur of Szeryng's and Milstein's (as different as those two are from each other). Perlman plays well (extremely well, better than most mortals can even dream of), but he breaks no new ground, shows us no new dimensions in these pieces. You get what you would expect: gorgeous tone, fluid lines, tasteful phrasing, solid intonation. But he remains so conventional, so caught up in the reigning aesthetc ideal. All the truly great Bach players have managed to transcend mere beauty. To mention just a few: With Casals, we seem to witness the creation of the world, foundational events of immeasurable vastness. With Gould, we experience Bach's logico-mathematical genius. With Szeryng, Bach's music becomes a cathedral, a giant structure pointing beyond itself. Milstein's Bach is a life elixir, a joyous celebration of unlimited creativity and playfulness. Perlman's Bach? It's beautiful, but no more than that. My recommendation: Don't follow Perlman's fame. Get the Szeryng and Milstein sets and witness true greatness.

Is this the Bach collection for baroque purists? Of course not. Nor will it please the lovers of the old-school romantics. However, it is a superb collection if approached on its own merits. Nobody can fault the sound on these CDs, it is just simply wonderful. It is also clear that Perlman does not approach unaccompanied Bach lightly --- two full decades of recording passed before he felt confident to record these works, and his respect and love for Bach comes through with every note.

Whether or not you approve of the use of vibrato, it is obvious that Perlman has carefully thought through every bit of phrasing. The result is very satisfying, and the musical ideas flow comfortably from one passage to the next. I don't find the vibrato to be a distraction --- and let's face it, all of us who play unaccompanied Bach throw a little vibrato in there from time to time. This is a far cry from some of the grotesque, turn-of-the-century romantic parodies of Bach, where the vibrato and phrasing nearly obliterates Bach's original structure. Listen to how Perlman puts together these pieces. He is not guilty of romantic self-indulgence here.

Compare it to Milstein and Szeryng if you must. I believe that Perlman holds his own here. He certainly has produced the best Bach collection in the last 30 years, no doubt.

Although I favor the Milstein set (from the 50s on EMI, not the DG set from the 70s, which I think is inferior), I do favor Perlman over the much heralded Szeryng, as well as Heifetz and Grumiaux. In terms of tempo and dynamics, I think Perlman found the right balance in most cases. His Chaconne is stunning, but I especially appreciate his insights into the more delicate movements, such as the Andante of Sonata 2. To me, only the 50s Milstein is superior in this regard. And as much as I love the 50s Milstein set, the sound of the violin is quite dry. Reverb was not yet in vogue in the 50s. So this Perlman set, besides being an insightful interpretation, also has superior sound quality, and is very smooth on the ears. I will also say that Perlman's intonation is impeccable, I have heard no flaws there. I think he makes the right choices throughout the set, and although no single rendition of these works is definitive (although for me, the 50s Milstein on EMI comes closest, and is my top recommendation), I think Perlman is about as good of a compromise between "feeling" and "form" as we can expect. Certainly head and shoulders above Szeryng, his renditions do not impress me.

I think we should be careful not to unfairly judge Itzhak Perlman simply because he happens to be a successful and popular artist. It didn't hurt Yehudi Menuhin in his day. It's always fashionable to dismiss someone who is popular in favor of a more obscure talent, but sometimes this has no real merit. The fact is that Perlman is indeed one of the best violinists in the world, and this recording is perhaps his crowning achievement, as it would be for any great violinist. Technically, I think he is beyond reproach here, and artistically, his insights are among the best I've heard in these pieces.

This is one of the two extremes of Bach interpretation, the other extreme being a dry, technical reading with little or no vibrato. Perlman's brilliant, full, rich tone is completely different from what would have been heard in Bach's time--in fact, the use of vibrato did not become commonplace until the late 19th century, during the Romantic movement. But in fact, there is no reason why this beautiful tone cannot be applied to Bach too! Since it is an extreme, this recording may not please purists, but I have always thought that Bach would have liked to be able to hear his music performed as it often is today, using the full range of technical possibilities that have been developed since his time. In addition, the magnificent violins that Perlman uses for his recording, a Guarneri del Gesu of 1740 and a Stradivari of 1714, are truly pleasurable to hear. This is my favorite recording of Bach's music for unaccompanied violin, and it is one that I often turn to in my own study of the music.

Perlman blows you away with his technical finesse. He also displays with great verve and clarity the inner logic of each piece, so this makes a great set for one's first introduction to these masterpieces of baroque, especially if you're curious why Perlman became such a big star in the first place. Some find Perlman's use of vibrato annoying, but for this listener there is a sweetness and singing quality that brings out the unique beauty and character of each particular partita and sonata, none more so than in the Partita No. 2 and its great Chaconne. Partita No. 3 as well as Sonatas Nos. 1 and 2 are particularly gorgeous. Perlman may not plunge into the spiritual depths as other violinists, and the violins he chooses could be warmer in sound, so while these interpratations may not be the final word on Bach's masterwork (then again, what single violinist can do this?), they certainly are essential listening. ****1/2

Other references: Received "rosette" (highest rating) in Penguin Guide; Top recommendation from Jim Svejda's classical guides

Some people approach this music emotionally and that's fine. I am in the other camp where I listen to it architecturally, i.e. the line, the phrasing, the implied counterpoint, &c., and let the emotions sink in later. In this sense this recording is not successful. You cannot doubt Perlman's technique and tone, but his very free take on phrasing and rhythm means the implied counterpoint is distorted and weakened, and the musical structure is obscured. Perlman's uniformly sweet and rich tone also means he does not distinguish among the independent voices of the implied counterpoint, and instead runs them together. The vibrato which he uses throughout also softens the musical phrasing as the articulations cannot be as sharp. The performances sounds very much like how the cadenzas of 19th century violin concertos are played, which does not happen to jive with my ideas of Bach.

Being one of the pillars of the solo violin repertoire, the Sonatas and Partitas require a player with a boundless reserve of virtuosity, passion, emotion, strength and musicality. Long before Paganini became the non plus ultra for violin music, this was the benchmark. In this recording, Itzhak Perlman more than sufficiently delivers the goods and successfully interprets the music and transcends its demands. Hearing his effortlessly navigate the music is quite simply a revelatory experience. It is almost obscene the way he throws off the technicalities and pyrotechnics without working himself into a fervour. His fingering is immaculately pristine and his bowing serves up the requisite intonational precision. In his hands, the music takes on a throb and pulse that sees the music through from start to finish. Most recommended is the 2nd Partita and its monumental and demanding Ciaccona. Its vast structure lasting about a quarter of an hour culminates in a reworking of the themes where we hear Perlman sawing through the music as we almost see his involved and relentless bowing. The Prelude from the 3rd Partita takes on a fleet and infectious rhythm that carries on unabated till the climax. Perlman plays on two gorgeous instruments in this recording, both of them priceless treasures - a Guaneri del Gesu 'Ex Sauret' and a Stradivari "Soil". This is something that truly bears repeated listening and which must be heard to be believed.

This really does show how Itzhak Perlman is probably the best violinist living today. The tone, the colour and just about everything proves it. This CD has some of the best violin music ever written and Perlman plays it superbly. Worth every penny.

A good performance but nothing to get excited about...really mediocre recording -- sounds as though it was either recorded in a large hallway or with a lot of added reverb...particularly annoying is Perlman's bow noise -- almost every stroke starts with an annoying "crunch"...better recording and performance from Szeyng.

As a violinist myself I can only say that this is the best recording by far, of the Bach solos. I've been listening to it daily for several years now and I am more inspired with each listen. I'm running out of friends and relatives to give this CD set to!