Auspicious Beginnings
J. Buxton | 11/03/2000
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Though these recordings from the mid to late 60s find Perlman at the beginning of his international career, they capture well the qualities most associated with his now mature artistry: solid technique, lyricism, and continuity of line. The Perlman approach works best with the Tchaikovsky concerto in a performance that eschews pyrotechnics until the last movement. The first movement sounds unlike any other recorded version, emphasizing the thoughtful, even melancholy elements within the score. The second and third movements are more conventional in their delivery, with the eruption of the finale's high spirits more astounding given the restraint shown earlier. The Dvorak was the original disc-mate for the Tchaikovsky, and sounds lovely here. Perlman and Leinsdorf seem less interested in the Sibelius. Everything's well-executed and beautifully rendered, but this is a reading that stays on the surface, with little acknowledgement of the raging passions underneath.Perhaps most appealing about the High Performance release to those collectors familiar only with the previous Red Seal and Gold Seal releases of the Tchaikovsky and Dvorak is the refurbishment of the sound. The lps' sound was terrible - muffled and distorted. The first cd release on RCA's Papillion series miraculously cured the sonic ills, and High Performance doesn't improve much upon that earlier issue. But the Perlman/Leinsdorf/Dvorak piece is new to cd, and it may tempt some collectors to replace the Papillion with the fuller High Performance cd."
Vinyl
J. Buxton | 04/05/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I had a copy of this on vinyl when I was younger and I lost it. However, I then found it on CD in a store and bought it. It is undoubtedly my VERY favorite piece of music. I love the sound of a violin and I can hear the strains of the music in my head so clearly and I can't help but smile, because I have never heard a violin make such beautiful sounds as it does in the violin concerto."
Perlman is pure silk, but the reading sounds rather careful
Santa Fe Listener | Santa Fe, NM USA | 06/16/2006
(3 out of 5 stars)
"Although a great virtuoso, Itzhak Perlman has never been much of a risk taker. Even in these debut recordings from Boston in 1966 and 1967, he refuses to make anything but lovely sounds, and no phrase is allowed to escape his careful control. He's an artist who eschews impetuosity. I like the refurbished High Performance sonocs in 24/96 digital. The violin sounds natural, without shrillness in its upper range, and the BSO has plenty of room to breathe.
For me, Leinsdorf is always a problem. Here, as usual, he keeps strict time and is routine in every respect. He shares half the blame for the low-key first movement of the Tchaikovsky, which really needs fire and passion, not caution. But Perlman isn't exactly ablaze, either, as marvelously well as he plays.
The Sibelius concerto has a more important orchestral part, so we sorely miss a Rattle, Muti, or Sinopoli on the podium, just to mention the conductors who support Nigel Kennedy, Gidon Kremer, and Gil Shaham so incisively on their recordings. The violin concerto is in Sibelius's ripest romantic style, deeply influenced by Tchaikovsky, but if anything Leinsdorf is more recessive here. The Adagio is taken fairly quickly, however, which is a help in sustaining interest if you're going to be this literal. The finale begs for more energy from the orchestra, but Perlman breaks loose a bit and gives a gripping acocunt of the solo part.
If you want to hear the Tchaikovsky and Sibelius concertos played with emphasis on tonal beauty and control, this is a five-star CD. But for me, the only listener who would be thrilled by it is a violin teacher."
Track Listings (7) - Disc #1