Brahms: Violin Concerto ~ Barenboim / Perlman

Johannes Brahms (Composer), Daniel Barenboim (Conductor), Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra (Orchestra), Itzhak Perlman (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Itzhak Perlman
• Orchestra: Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
• Conductor: Daniel Barenboim
• Composer: Johannes Brahms
• Audio CD (November 17, 1992)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: EMI Classics
• ASIN: B000002RT0
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #115,296 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D, Op. 77: I. Allegro non troppo

2. Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D, Op. 77: II. Adagio

3. Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D, Op. 77: III. Allegro giocoso, ma non troppo vivace

4. Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D, Op. 77: Applause

Editorial Reviews

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Perlman's remake of the Brahms concerto could use more life, June 15, 2006

By 

Santa Fe Listener (Santa Fe, NM USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Brahms: Violin Concerto ~ Barenboim / Perlman (Audio CD)

Usually famous musicians get raves here at Amazon even for lessthan stellar work, but this Brahms Violin Concerto with Perlman and Barenboim (a remake for EMI of his famous recording with Giulini) deserves some serious criticism. The Gramophone has often pciekd Perlman's earlier effort as their first-choice, but here his playing is far too cautious. Barenboim, typical in his late phase, gives us slow tempos with little inner tension. Brahms is a composer of struggle and dramatic conflict, but you wouldn't know that listening to this expert, mellifluous performances.

The first movement proceeds very slowly (22+ min. compared to Reiner's 18+ min. with Heifetz on RCA), and although Perlman is note-perfect, barenboim doesn't give him a foundation to shine. The slow movement goes at the normal tempo, and here Perlman's sweet melodic line and the refined playing of the Berlin Phil. help make up for the lack of inner life. The finale comes off as more or less a good night at the concert hall, with excellent ecexution by soloist and orchestra. It oculd be a little more rambunctious, but obviously making waves was the last thing Perlman and Barenbim had in mind.

12 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Superb, December 18, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Brahms: Violin Concerto ~ Barenboim / Perlman (Audio CD)

Beethoven is my favorite composer, but I have to say that Brahms topped him for the greatest violin concerto ever written and this is a great performance of it.

Perlman's playing is beautiful, much warmer to my ears than Heifetz (with Reiner), which I also own. The orchestral accompaniment and solos from the Berlin Philharmonic are as perfect as you would expect. Tempos are somewhat broad but not sluggish; Barenboim gives the music enough room to breathe without being indulgent. The sound is excellent; it is a live performance, but other than some shuffling in the audience between the first and second movement and brief applause at the end you won't notice it.

I'd rarely recommend a disc with a 38 minute playing time, but when it's a piece and a performance like this (or Brahms' 4th symphony with Kleiber and Vienna), who could complain?

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars AMAZING, March 15, 2007

By 

Patrick Oneal - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Brahms: Violin Concerto ~ Barenboim / Perlman (Audio CD)

the clarity and accuracy of Heifetz, the energy of Stern. This recording is by far my favorite of the Brahms violin concerto that i've heard.