Customer Reviews

Great Romantic Concertos

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This compilation disc contains the great of the greatest violin concerti ever composed. Namely that of Brahms, Bruch, Beethoven, Paganini, Tchaikovsky and Mendelssohn. To have to combination alone is already a plus, much less to have it performed by one of the greatest violinists alive. Itzhak Perlman is the kind of musician who makes anything he plays sounds effortlessly beautiful, profound, intense, passionate and other adjectives that hardly can be put to use when describing music. The collection begins with the Brahms and the Bruch on the first disc. The Brahms concerto and the Bruch concerto are similar in that they have Hungarian influences. This aspect in their last movements show Perlman playing with a vigour and vivacity that is rarely matched. In the slow movements, the "feeble Adagio" of Brahms and that of Bruch come to life and evokes pathos intensely. Perlman's mastery is put to the test with Beethoven's, the greatest of them all. His handling of the extended first movement is remarkable in that he maintains a forward momentum that does not allow the music to drag. The Paganini has always been rarely performed like it was meant to - without the slightest indication of monotony - it must be played naturally as Paganini himself would have. This is achieved by Perlman. In the Tchaikovsky, one of Perlman's specialities, he tackles it like the warhorse that it is and successfully brings across the fireworks that adorn this remarkable and beautiful music. The Mendelssohn has always been popular, from the start the music just reaches out to trap the imagination. Thereby, with the added assistance of Perlman's irresistably sensuous tone, it is hard to ignore. In a nutshell, if you love violin music, especially concerti, this must be for you. In fact, it can hardly be bettered, the pairing of music as well as the performance.

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.

Itzhak Perlman's artistry is unmatched, which is clearly evident in this set. His tone soars and resonates in a way that no musician can attempt to compare himelf with. Itzhak Perlman is one of the greatest artists of all time and this set is a tribute not only to his glory but to the glory of some of the greatest violin concerti ever written. The clarity and pureness of his music makes these recordings some of the best ever. This set is wonderful. I could not recommend it more highly.

I first heard Perlman play the Tchaikovsky live when I was nine years old in Heinz Hall with the Pittsburgh Symphony and Andre Previn. What an experience!! Ever since that performance, I have been looking for a recording to bring back that moment! I don't think that this will EVER happen, but this recording is about as close as I will ever get! This recording of compositions for the violin ranks up there with my favorites. Perlman is the quintessential violinist, if not musician of the 20th, and now, 21st centuries. If you are a fan of classical music, or just getting started into the realm of literature, this is a must have set for the foundation of any great CD library!
Five incredibly humbled stars!

Yep, they are all here, all the romantic violin concerti that you know and love. I suppose that is the strongest appeal of this collection: you have at your fingertips an excellent compendium of romantic violin music played by one of the better romantic violinists of his generation.

When one approaches the individual pieces, is one getting the best performances to be found? Probably not. I have always preferred Szeryng's performance of the Brahms, for example. Probably every reviewer could name an individual performance preferable to the performances in this collection. Still, the strong consistency of the performances makes this, as an overall collection, hard to beat.

My only quibbles: why include the Paganini #1 and not, for example, the Sibelius? Without taking anything away from Paganini for his contribution to violin technique, let's face it: compared to the other pieces in this collection, the Paganini #1 is just the musical equivalent of cotton candy. It does not stand up well in comparison.

My other complaint is the somewhat tinny sound quality on the Bruch #1. Perlman's tone sounds almost raspy at times, as does the sound of the orchestra. Was he stiking the mike to close to his violin like Heifetz always did? I didn't notice it on any of the other pieces. It is a little strange.

My quibbles are minor ones, though. Overall, I am quite happy with the quality of this collection.

I have never been as big a fan of the violin as the viola (probably because I was one of the few violists who didn't start on the violin), but Perlman is quite simply the best violinist I have ever heard (and I've heard hundreds and hundreds). He is so supreme as a violinist that he could totally screw something up and it would still sound masterful.

Unlike one of the reviewers here, I LOVE the Brahms, and the relative slow tempo of the first movement makes the piece so poignant and beautiful that it gives me goosebumps and brings tears to my eyes. Perlman isn't playing it, he's making love to it, and he brings us all in on his passion for the instrument and the music, and we all get carried away with him as he creates a musical tsunami. The Brahms Violin Concerto, Mozart's Sinfonia Concertante for Viola and Violin, and John Lennon's "Imagine" are my favorite pieces of music bar none; all three pieces have significant meaning for me, and all three are masterpieces of their genres.

The Mendelssohn is light and capricious, while always maintaining Perlman's respect for what he probably feels were the composer's intentions.

The Paganini is my least favorite of the pieces, relatively, but this is probably more attributable to the fact that I don't generally have the patience to sit there and listen to an entire concerto of the flamboyant technical stuff Paganini wrote. That, and Paganini's orchestrations were poor at best. But it is a great example of what the violin can do - I've heard cellists try to play Paganini, and while I also LOVE the cello, Paganini's technical bravado doesn't translate well for larger instruments - not even the viola. Nonetheless, Perlman plays the piece cleanly and with an understanding that can only be had by someone with his level of technical ability. I can see Perlman and Paganini now, sitting in a playing parlor, drinking wine, laughing so hard they cry, and trying to out-duel each other in the violin version of "anything you can do I can do better". I'm not sure who would win...

The Tchaikovsky is a very difficult concerto to play, but when done correctly, as Perlman does, it sounds smooth as silk, and, of course, Perlman is up to the task.

The Beethoven is so overplayed by lower-echelon violinists that it can be a real bore. The "Concerto for Kettle Drums", as the violin concerto was jokingly called, requires a tenderness and delicacy that many violinists don't seem to be capable of. Instead, they saw away at their fiddle and leave the listener wondering if there were chores that needed doing right about then. Perlman doesn't let you leave the room; he keeps you hanging on until the very end.

The Bruch finally gets its due. It is a very beautiful piece of music that somehow seems to be given less due than it deserves. In Perlman's capable hands, the piece is a tender story told by grandpa to a youngster to help the youngster deal with life's difficulties. The Bruch has the wisdom of the ages in its notes, and "Grandpa Perlman" doesn't let anything go unsaid.

This is quite simply one of the most incredible CDs I have ever heard, and this "viola chauvinist" cannot recommend it highly enough. It is well worth the money.

Perlman shows his abilities playing those concerts, that might be the greatest ones for people who likes passion in their lives. The Violin Concerto nș1 in D, Op.6 of Paganini and the Violin Concerto nș1 in G minor, Op.26 of Bruch brings up to live the deepest feelings of our hearts to live, principally when u have love.

I'm a fan of Perlman playing some of my fave concertos. I was studying the Bruch concerto, and listening helped me put it together artistically.