Search - Brahms, Perlman, Giulini :: Violin Concerto

Itzhak Perlman gives a Romantic reading of this concerto, dripping with sentiment, sweetness of tone, and portamento. No one comes close to him in imparting a broad, grand feeling to the music. Carlo Maria Giulini's accompaniment has a warm-blooded, meaty substantiality, and the Chicagoans make a glorious sound under his baton; their tremolos fairly quiver with excitement. The performance is full of life, and spirit--in the sense of both joy and spirituality. The 1976 recording establishes an excellent balance between the participants, close-up but true. --Ted Libbey