Post by julesd68 on Dec 17, 2014 14:59:54 GMT
A couple of weeks ago I had the pleasure of hearing the Chaconne from Bach Partita 2 in D minor performed live. It’s a startlingly powerful and moving work that is really what the solo violin is made for. I wanted to explore it further, so I had a look for the work on YouTube where I came across this 1978 Radio 3 lunchtime concert, featuring Itzhak Perlman. Naturally I was expecting it to be an audio only recording, but the whole event is captured on 16mm film! I absolutely love the immaculate RP from the Radio 2 announcer’s introduction - it really places you in the time and place. Then Mr Perlman, sporting a fine pair of sideburns, takes to the stage on crutches! Fabulous. Next, a kindly lady in a cardigan walks on to hand him his fiddle …
The reverberant acoustic of the hall is absolutely lovely; even on my little computer speakers it seems to capture Mr Perlman’s splendid tone. I can close my eyes as I listen to this and just imagine being in the room with the greying audience, it really takes me there … At the end of the concert, he even gets up on his crutches to receive the standing ovation and then hobbles off - what a trooper!
I don’t know when he last visited our shores, but just checking on google, Mr Perlman is still going strong and performing all over the world and is only 69 years old.
www.itzhakperlman.com/
Turn it up loud and let the music flow.
And here’s another one!
Jascha Heifetz playing the Chaconne - this time it’s a studio recording captured on camera.
I read this comment on YouTube -
< Jascha is a master yes….. but his performance is cold....robotic, unemotional, and harsh. Itzhak has so much more emotion when he plays this incredible piece >
Hmm, well I can understand why that might be the case on the surface, but is ’so much more emotion’ actually what's required here? The Heifetz instinctively feels truer to the Baroque origins of the work. He possesses such a noble and statuesque tone which suits this work perfectly. What he doesn’t do, is to add in extra ‘emotion’ to the work as he obviously feels that isn’t his job here - the purity and wonder of the music speaks volumes by itself. As for the Perlman, I can appreciate that some purists may find his approach a little too ‘modern’ and over-embellished, heavy on the old vibrato, but whatever your take on that, it’s still a highly fluid, enjoyable and confident performance.
At the end of the day it’s not about one being better than the other. How utterly fabulous to have two contrasting styles from two of the finest violinists of all time playing the work on film.
The reverberant acoustic of the hall is absolutely lovely; even on my little computer speakers it seems to capture Mr Perlman’s splendid tone. I can close my eyes as I listen to this and just imagine being in the room with the greying audience, it really takes me there … At the end of the concert, he even gets up on his crutches to receive the standing ovation and then hobbles off - what a trooper!
I don’t know when he last visited our shores, but just checking on google, Mr Perlman is still going strong and performing all over the world and is only 69 years old.
www.itzhakperlman.com/
Turn it up loud and let the music flow.
And here’s another one!
Jascha Heifetz playing the Chaconne - this time it’s a studio recording captured on camera.
I read this comment on YouTube -
< Jascha is a master yes….. but his performance is cold....robotic, unemotional, and harsh. Itzhak has so much more emotion when he plays this incredible piece >
Hmm, well I can understand why that might be the case on the surface, but is ’so much more emotion’ actually what's required here? The Heifetz instinctively feels truer to the Baroque origins of the work. He possesses such a noble and statuesque tone which suits this work perfectly. What he doesn’t do, is to add in extra ‘emotion’ to the work as he obviously feels that isn’t his job here - the purity and wonder of the music speaks volumes by itself. As for the Perlman, I can appreciate that some purists may find his approach a little too ‘modern’ and over-embellished, heavy on the old vibrato, but whatever your take on that, it’s still a highly fluid, enjoyable and confident performance.
At the end of the day it’s not about one being better than the other. How utterly fabulous to have two contrasting styles from two of the finest violinists of all time playing the work on film.
I find it harder to put my finger on the reason for this .... I just don't find him a very interesting performer.
