Elgar: Violinkonzert/Chausson: Poème

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com essential recording
Perlman's Elgar has always caused consternation among English critics, largely because it's so much better played from a purely technical point of view than any performance by an English violinist. With its relatively swift tempos, the performance is sometimes judged to be lacking in repose and "inwardness," whatever that is. All of this is complete nonsense. Perlman's playing of this extremely long and difficult concerto places it squarely in the grand Romantic tradition, which is precisely where it belongs. He plays the pants off the piece, and in Daniel Barenboim he has an excellent Elgar conductor leading an orchestra (the Chicago Symphony) of almost peerless quality. An essential Perlman disc. --David Hurwitz

Tracks:

Concerto For Violin And Orchestra In B Minor Op. 61: Allegro
Concerto For Violin And Orchestra In B Minor Op. 61: Andante
Concerto For Violin And Orchestra In B Minor Op. 61: Allegro Molto
Poeme Op. 25: Lento e misterioso - Molto animato - Animato - Poco lento - Poco meno lento - Allegro - Tempo I - Tranquillo

Amazon.com essential recording

Perlman's Elgar has always caused consternation among English critics, largely because it's so much better played from a purely technical point of view than any performance by an English violinist. With its relatively swift tempos, the performance is sometimes judged to be lacking in repose and "inwardness," whatever that is. All of this is complete nonsense. Perlman's playing of this extremely long and difficult concerto places it squarely in the grand Romantic tradition, which is precisely where it belongs. He plays the pants off the piece, and in Daniel Barenboim he has an excellent Elgar conductor leading an orchestra (the Chicago Symphony) of almost peerless quality. An essential Perlman disc. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

Amazing........2005-07-20

Perlman's Elgar shines with plenty of his famous nuances and wide variety of tone. Oh but the tone!... so warm and subtle on the middle strings, bright on the e-string, and heart-breakingly thick on the g-string. I don't think anyone violinist has ever produced such a tone, and it is inimitable. Perlman is the violinist of the 2nd half of this century, hands down.
The Chausson is wonderfully mysterious.

A Great Lyrical Elgar From Perlman, Barenboim and CSO.......2003-08-26

Without a doubt this is one of Itzhak Perlman's finest violin concerto recordings. Here he plays Elgar's violin concerto with much lyricism and warmth, offering a colorful, at times, exuberant performance. Accompanying Perlman is Daniel Barenboim leading the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in an exemplary performance of the score (Incidentally this was one of Barenboim's first recordings with the CSO.). Theirs is a perfect partnership amongst soloist, conductor and orchestra. Although British reviewers will strongly disagree, I believe that it is among the finest recordings I have heard of the Elgar violin concerto.

A worthy effort--but don't miss Chung's version........2000-03-17

Perlman and Barenboim provide an interpretation with plenty of finesse and excitement, but I would urge anyone who loves this work--or wants to explore it--to hear the recording by Kyung-Wha Chung and Sir Georg Solti that was reissued last year by Decca, coupled with the Mendelssohn concerto.

Chung is better than anyone I've heard at capturing the mercurial qualities of Elgar's score. Pinchas Zukerman once said that of all the violin concertos in the repertory he found this one the most difficult, not technically, but because of the complexity of the emotions it expresses. Listen, for example, to the tenderness with which the violin makes its first entry, and then compare that to the extroverted feelings expressed elsewhere in the first movement.

Chung is particularly good in the meditative passages of the cadenza, which she plays with riveting intensity. And listen to the impassioned way she later bids the themes farewell and launches into the coda. Solti's partnering is superb, and the recording is excellent.

Chung's version is available from Amazon but you may have trouble finding it, because it's just listed under Elgar's Violin Concerto as "Concerto Violin (2)" with no indication of the artist. The disc is also available from Amazon.co.uk, which has a complete listing for it.

Not as good as Sammons or Kennedy.......2000-03-16

It appears that some other reviewers have missed the point. First, this is a work by a mature composer (Elgar was 52 when this work was premiered in 1910) who had finally achieved recognition; there is an element of struggle, restraint and dignity in the music that is missing from Perlman's interpretation. Second, the inscription on the autograph score, "Aqui esta encerrada el alma de....." is considered by many Elgar scholars to refer to the soul of the composer himself. This is a deeply introspective work and the extrovert performance given by Perlman/Barenboim is inappropriate in places. Finally, there is nothing special about the technical ability displayed by Perlman in this recording when compared with the competition. The performance of Albert Sammons, under the baton of Sir Henry Wood, is definitive (1929). If you prefer a modern recording, the two by Kennedy with Handley or Rattle are also superb. Both violinists give an immaculate, tasteful and profoundly emotional account of the demanding solo parts. All three conductors show much deeper sympathy with the music than is evident from Barenboim. If you want another romantic violin concerto for the collection, with a dazzling display of virtuosity, then this recording is for you. If, however, you would like to wander down the banks of the Severn, hear the rustle of "Windflowers" and approach the very heart of the music, then I suggest that you obtain an English recording and go with Sammons or Kennedy.

Dedicated to... a certain pretty Windflower.......2000-01-19

How difficult it is to remain distant and objective about a performance and a piece of music that you absolutely love. This is one of them, and I must apologise all readers who do not share my feelings towards Perlman's version of the Elgar concerto - try as I would, any attempts of mine to analyze the performance or the recording as such are doomed to fail. And yet I can not resist to put in a few words about this disc, in the hope that a spark will catch on somewhere out there...

As DH mentions in his Amazon review, Perlman's performance has mostly been shunned by British reviewers - his playing here has been described to the lines of 'technical dazzle and nothing much more'. Now, if we were talking about Elgar's Cello concerto, one of his most autumnal 'late' works, I would readily accept criticism as far as 'lack of restraint' goes. However, the Violin Concerto has, in many hands, only suffered from excessive punch-pulling.

I mean, just look at the piece. Elgar himself dedicated the work to someone's soul (he never revealed who the person was but I very strongly suspect that it was a lady, judging by the music). So, the Concerto is not about restraint at all. It's about letting your feelings go at full blast! It's about being young and in love, full to the brim with sweet and noble intoxication! It's about...

Well I did warn you. Anyway, to be honest, I do not think Perlman overdoes it to the least extent, neither is there any hint of self-indulgent virtuoso display (despite the fact that he handles even the most hair-raisingly demanding passages of the nearly 50-minute piece with magisterial ease). I've heard quite a few other versions of this work, and none of them come as close to the heart of the Concerto as this.

And, if it's just because Perlman's is the version through which I discovered and learnt to appreciate this Concerto, well... so be it. First love always has its own particular tinge. Sweet memories. Wonderful music. What more can you ask for? I'll keep the memories to myself but this CD is for you to buy. I rest my case!

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