Itzhak Perlman - À la carte
View record and artist detailsRecord and Artist Details
Composer or Director: Jules (Emile Frédéric) Massenet, Fritz Kreisler, Alexander Konstantinovich Glazunov, Sergey Rachmaninov, Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Henryk Wieniawski, Pablo (Martín Melatón) Sarasate (y Navascuéz)
Label: EMI
Magazine Review Date: 1/1996
Media Format: CD or Download
Media Runtime: 63
Mastering:
DDD
Catalogue Number: 555475-2
Tracks:
| Composition | Artist Credit |
|---|---|
| Thaïs, Movement: Méditation |
Jules (Emile Frédéric) Massenet, Composer
Abbey Road Ensemble Itzhak Perlman, Violin Jules (Emile Frédéric) Massenet, Composer Lawrence Foster, Conductor |
| Mazurka-Oberek |
Alexander Konstantinovich Glazunov, Composer
Abbey Road Ensemble Alexander Konstantinovich Glazunov, Composer Itzhak Perlman, Violin Lawrence Foster, Conductor |
| Vocalise |
Sergey Rachmaninov, Composer
Abbey Road Ensemble Itzhak Perlman, Violin Lawrence Foster, Conductor Sergey Rachmaninov, Composer |
| Zigeunerweisen |
Pablo (Martín Melatón) Sarasate (y Navascuéz), Composer
Abbey Road Ensemble Itzhak Perlman, Violin Lawrence Foster, Conductor Pablo (Martín Melatón) Sarasate (y Navascuéz), Composer |
| Fantasia on Two Russian Themes |
Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov, Composer
Abbey Road Ensemble Itzhak Perlman, Violin Lawrence Foster, Conductor Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov, Composer |
| Meditation |
Alexander Konstantinovich Glazunov, Composer
Abbey Road Ensemble Alexander Konstantinovich Glazunov, Composer Itzhak Perlman, Violin Lawrence Foster, Conductor |
| Souvenir d'un lieu cher, Movement: No. 2, Scherzo in C minor |
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Composer
Abbey Road Ensemble Itzhak Perlman, Violin Lawrence Foster, Conductor Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Composer |
| Légende |
Henryk Wieniawski, Composer
Abbey Road Ensemble Henryk Wieniawski, Composer Itzhak Perlman, Violin Lawrence Foster, Conductor |
| (The) Old Refrain |
Fritz Kreisler, Composer
Abbey Road Ensemble Fritz Kreisler, Composer Itzhak Perlman, Violin Lawrence Foster, Conductor |
| Introduction and Tarantella |
Pablo (Martín Melatón) Sarasate (y Navascuéz), Composer
Abbey Road Ensemble Itzhak Perlman, Violin Lawrence Foster, Conductor Pablo (Martín Melatón) Sarasate (y Navascuéz), Composer |
| Schön Rosmarin |
Fritz Kreisler, Composer
Abbey Road Ensemble Fritz Kreisler, Composer Itzhak Perlman, Violin Lawrence Foster, Conductor |
Author:
Labelling a menu of sweetmeats “A la carte” might at first glance seem a ‘trifle’ misleading, and yet in this particular instance four of the works programmed – Glazunov’s Mazurka-Oberek, Kreisler’s Fantasia on Two Russian Themes (after Rimsky-Korsakov), Wieniawski’s Legende and Zigeunerweisen – are more like calorie-controlled main courses, averaging eight to nine minutes apiece. Having already reported on one of the sessions (6/95, page 14), I can again attest to the ease, good humour and innate musicality of Perlman’s playing, as well as reminding readers that the chosen repertoire was largely inspired by the recordings of, among others, Kreisler, Milstein, Heifetz and David Oistrakh. In fact, there was a time when you could actually hear those influences in Perlman’s playing; but not now. The overall approach is warm, relaxed and ‘comfortable’, fondly recalling days of yore and in marked contrast to the provocative, slightly acerbic manner of, say, Gidon Kremer or Thomas Zehetmair.
Perlman’s Thais “Meditation” is less tearful than Elman’s (Vanguard Classics), less theatrical than Mutter’s (DG, 12/93), but more refined than either – an elevated ‘easy listen’, sensitively accompanied. The GlazunovMazurka-Oberek should be at least as popular as Saint-Saens’s concert pieces for violin and orchestra, and Perlman does it proud – much as David Oistrakh (on Monitor Classics) had done before him. I thought the initial pages of Rachmaninov’s Vocalise a little over-sweet (too many well-oiled slides), but its latter half achieves genuine expressive eloquence. Glazunov’s Meditation is suitably honeyed and the Kreisler-Rimsky Fantasia (where Goldmark’s A minor Concerto hovers around the main theme) is given a truly splendid performance. Of the rest, I would single out the two Kreisler pieces as exceptional, Schon Rosmarin especially, while Lawrence Foster’s expert Abbey Road Ensemble (plenty of familiar faces there, including leader Kenneth Sillito) provide a discreet but flavoursome orchestral base.
So, a most enjoyable programme, captured in a studio that must surely have heard virtually all the violinists who inspired it. How, then, does “A la carte” measure up against its pre-digital predecessors? I’d say that Perlman approximates the ‘old school’ with something of an actor’s skill: he feels the period, not as a first-hand witness (even at 50, he is far too young for that), but as a respectful recipient of a great tradition. Buy and enjoy, but don’t forget those fabulous old records. Perlman learned from them, and so should we.'
Perlman’s Thais “Meditation” is less tearful than Elman’s (Vanguard Classics), less theatrical than Mutter’s (DG, 12/93), but more refined than either – an elevated ‘easy listen’, sensitively accompanied. The Glazunov
So, a most enjoyable programme, captured in a studio that must surely have heard virtually all the violinists who inspired it. How, then, does “A la carte” measure up against its pre-digital predecessors? I’d say that Perlman approximates the ‘old school’ with something of an actor’s skill: he feels the period, not as a first-hand witness (even at 50, he is far too young for that), but as a respectful recipient of a great tradition. Buy and enjoy, but don’t forget those fabulous old records. Perlman learned from them, and so should we.'
Itzhak Perlman - À la carte
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