Search - Ludwig van Beethoven, Johannes Brahms, Max Bruch :: Great Romantic Concertos

WITH HEART AND SOUL

05/15/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"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."

A must for any serious music fan, except for the Brahms

10/28/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"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."

There is no one better!

Thomas C. Nagy | Ebensburg, PA USA | 09/08/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"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!"