Beethoven: Concerto for violin in D

When Itzhak Perlman recorded this disc, many critics were surprised by the sobriety and quiet poetry of his interpretation, as though his many fine chamber-music recordings did not provide ample evidence of Perlman's qualities as a "serious" musician. Although beautifully written for the instrument, Beethoven's sole violin concerto does not offer many opportunities for the kind of virtuoso fireworks that have made Perlman famous. But as all great musicians will, he turned this fact to his own advantage. This sensitive, profound performance has already passed into legend as a classic in every sense of the word. --David Hurwitz Amazon.com essential recording

Nicely paced, clear majestic rendition of Beethoven

What I like about Perlman is his tone and even pace. Each note and detail is clearly heard and rendered beautifully. He makes the Beethoven sound majestic, as it should. The 2nd movement is especially lyrical and haunting. Perlman is not afraid to play slowly, exposing every note and ornamentation. Being a violin student, his rendition is easy to follow and appreciate. Others might put more fireworks into it, or play too fast, obscuring or crushing some notes. But not Perlman, he appreciates taking his time to express and cherish each note. The cadenza is by Kreisler, for those interested in following along. February 21, 2008

Lived up to the hype!

I just recently bought this CD and was not at all disappointed with it. I like this version MUCH better than Zuckerman's recording with Zubin Mehta and the LA Philharmonic. I was wondering why all the fuss about this concerto--now I know!

It only gets 4 stars instead of the deserved 5 stars b/c this CD is only 44 minutes long. In this day and age, I believe that is unacceptable. How hard would it have been to fill up the 30 minutes of blank space with a violin sonata or romance or SOMETHING?! 44 minutes just doesn't cut it with all of the competition and options out there. EMI, are you listening? January 15, 2007

Stunning.

Some people complain that Perlman's reading with Giulini is 'boring' or 'tedious'. But to me, he grabs the primary essence of "the classical concerto" in an interpretation thats so smooth and sensitive that it can bring tears to your eyes.
Of course, all the notes are dead in-tune and the technicalities of this decievingly difficult concerto are simply not an obstacle for the virtuoso.
I also admire the way that the violin solo and the orchestra are in synchronization. It's a classical concerto, therefore, both parts should be equally sounded and are both equally important except those few places of soloistic and orchestral take-overs. Which is exactly what this recording captured.
Sound Quality is great.
The Cadenzas are absolutely stunning.
This is definetly one of the legendary Perlman recordings. May 13, 2006

OK

How about some drama? I've heard several 'dry' recordings of this concerto. You need Kreisler, Milstein or Francescatti for this one; they play Beethoven with the nobility of expression that his violin concerto requires. The Kreisler cadenzas are preferred, making best use of Beethoven's thematic material. Unfortunately, infobytes don't always include information on
the cadenzas a violinist chooses. Don't get Heifetz either, since he never stops to smell the roses and there are plenty of roses to sniff here. March 29, 2006

Beethoven--Concerto for Violin in D

I bought this CD for my folks and they love it! February 24, 2006

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