Product Details

• Actors: Itzhak Perlman
• Directors: Christopher Nupen
• Format: Color, Dolby, DVD, Widescreen, NTSC
• Language: English (PCM)
• Subtitles: German, Spanish, Finnish, French, Italian
• Region: All Regions
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Christopher Nupen
• DVD Release Date: February 26, 2008
• Run Time: 160 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0012K53UY
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #50,094 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

VIRTUOSO VIOLINIST - DVD Movie

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally available in DVD ... and double the time!, February 10, 2008

By 

Anthony J. Lomenzo "Doc Tony" (Fort Ann, New York) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Itzhak Perlman: Virtuoso Violinist (DVD)

I've been waiting for this one to come out in DVD format for some time as I have the VHS tape version and even the tape version was difficult to find! In the DVD version, the Amazon write-up indicates "160 minutes" [sic] whereas the exact VHS tape version was/is 80 minutes so obviously the DVD version has additional bonus material.

So too and 'I' was the one some time back who made the grand observation that "why get the DVD version when one has the tape version" thing and of course I don't have to tell you that my DVD collection far exceeds my tape versions because of what DVD versions have to offer. That and not to mention the usual DVD bonus material and the easy-find progressive scan cueing versus the guess work 'wind-rewind' hassle of tape especially when what you want to re-hear or find is at the beginning of the tape and the tape is naturally near the end! You get the stop-go-stop-go picture!

But more cogent, Itzhak Perlman is a legend in his own time. Besides his known skills with the violin [check out his CD audio disc on the 24 Paganini caprices!], the man has a captivating personality with a retained sense of humor where you simply, put colloquially, can't help but like the guy and thoroughly enjoy listening to him both playing 'and' talking and on virtually any subject, much less the violin! Even at his master classes, the by-word is 'encouragement' and the students, world wide mind you, genuinely appear to appreciate his input and his overall friendly demeanor. In fact, if you want a taste of the Perlman sense of humor, in rehearsal and literally back stage fun or 'antics' among good friends, see the now famous Schubert "Trout" get-together documentary with Daniel Barenboim on piano, Pinchas Zukerman [** this time playing a borrowed historic viola], Zubin Mehta on double-bass and the legendary [and sorely missed] Jacqueline Du Pre on the cello.

Or, indeed, in this video where it begins with Perlman telling the audience his recollection of playing a Paganini caprice but in a highly acoustic recital hall and he quips, "I know I played every note ... but the problem was there were too many notes" pointing to various areas in the hall [with regard to acoustic reverberation] and then pointing to his violin and commenting, "plus these notes too!" His humor and demeanor are highly catching as he talks about himself and other "fiddlers" [his word] and what he has learned from them. Perlman himself, IMO, would undoubtedly be the first to quickly down-play the words "living legend" or the "Maestro Perlman" title as applied by others to himself, although he's duly 'earned' such universal accolades, but that's the kind of unassuming man he is! The man is an absolute pleasure to listen to, playing or talking or indeed instructing! To this day, Perlman and his long-term violinist wife, Toby, run a summer violin camp and these students duly reap the benefit of such professional yet patiently and encouragingly rendered input.

In essence, the DVD reproduces the VHS tape version and 'adds' [or so indicates the Amazon pre-order write-up] 'double' the time in DVD bonus extras. My dream would be playing the piano part in the Schubert 'Trout' quintet with Itzhak Perlman on the violin but, alas, I think he would smile and suggest with that usually friendly grin that I study the piece further well recalling good friend Daniel Barenboim et al in the original 'Trout' rehearsal way back when when Barenboim, also having a twinkle in his eye, says after that first get-together rehearsal and staccato opening of the Trout piece, all players in unison, "Dahhhhhhhhhhhh!", and Barenboim comes out with, "That was awful!" and Perlman, being Perlman, says, in so many words, but with the trademark Perlman grin, "Well of course it was ... but that's why we have rehearsals!" But once on stage, ahhh, the professionalism and seriousness of purpose duly shows! For decades now!


Doc Tony

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly entertaining - and really funny too!, July 5, 2008

By 

Steven I. Ramm "Steve Ramm "Anything Phon... (Phila, PA USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Itzhak Perlman: Virtuoso Violinist (DVD)

I must admit that, unlike the previous person who reviewed this DVD (based on a previous VHS version and advance press comments), I was not familiar with the prior issue or even the director Christopher Nupen. But I certainly knew, and have seen and heard Perlman in concert.

The center focus on this DVD is the 1978 film titled "I Know I Played Every Note", which runs 58 minutes. In this film, Perlman basically narrates his own life and career, with a few probing questions by Nupen. (At one point he boldly asks the polio-inflicted Perlman: "How often do you fall down?")We see Perlman at home, in the kitchen, in New York City where he takes us on a brief tour of his home (after moving from Israel). We see, and hear from his wife Toby and watch him play concerts with his contemporaries Pincus Zuckerman and Jaqueline du Pre. He teaches a master class (which includes a funny bit with Nadia Salerno Sonnenberg) and tells stories. These are really funny stories and the film will have you smiling often.

So what fills up the rest of this DVD? Well, for one there 38 minutes of excerpts from 20 or so other films which Nupen has directed. But we also have more recent Perlman interviews where he comments on du Pre and the 1969 film titles "The Trout". Nupen includes excepts from two performances in London in the feature film and the DVD provides the full performances of the Bach E major and the Bach D minor partitas.

There's 16-page booklet with photos and text (in multiple languages) included.

With Nupen introducing each of the segments the whole package will take about 2 hours to watch. It's definitely two hours well spent. And spending any time with Perlman, either listening to his virtuoso performances, or hearing his funny stories is time well spent.

I'm off to seek out more of Nupen's films, based on this one!

Steve Ramm
"Anything Phonographic"