Itzhak Perelman - History and Biography of the Outstanding Violinist. Itzhak Perlman: memories, disappointments and hopes

Yakov Kovalensky

One of the greatest violinists of the second half of the 20th century, Itzhak Perlman, was born in August 1945 in Tel Aviv into a family of Jewish immigrants from Poland. WITH early childhood the boy was showing big interest to music, and his gift was obvious. At the age of four, Isaac contracted polio and was disabled for the rest of his life. He walks on crutches and plays while sitting. That didn't stop him from doing brilliant career. He began studying violin at the Academy of Music in Tel Aviv, and soon at the Juilliard School in New York with outstanding teachers Ivan Galamyan (Russian violin school) and Dorothy De Lay. His first performance took place on American radio at the age of ten. The violinist's brilliant debut on stage took place in 1963 at Carnegie Hall, and soon he won the American Leventritt Competition.

Since that time, Perlman began to give concerts widely around the world. He has appeared on American TV more than once in various programs. His game is distinguished fantastic technology, beautiful sound - warm, velvety, rich - and deep penetration into the composer's intention. All styles are subject to him.
The violinist is interested not only in the classical repertoire, he records music for films, for example, for the acclaimed film “Schindler's List” (composer D. Williams). And recently he recorded the music for the film “Memoirs of a Geisha” together with the American cellist Io-Io-Ma. Perlman has an incredible number of recordings on best companies world, including jazz compositions with O. Peterson and other jazzists. He participated in the recording of Jerry Bock's Broadway musical Fiddler on the Roof. The discs also contain almost all of Perlman's classical violin music. He plays Stradivarius violins from 1714 (the instrument previously belonged to I. Menuhin) and Guarneri from 1743. The violinist has won a Grammy Award five times—1979, 1981, 1982, 1988 and 1991—more than any other classical musician. In 2008, Perlman received an honorary Grammy award for musical achievements in the field of recording, in 1986 he received the Kennedy Center Prize, and President R. Reagan awarded him the Medal of Freedom. In 2000, President Clinton presented him with the National Medal of Arts.
Perlman played at the 2007 White House reception for Queen Elizabeth and at the 2009 inauguration of President Barack Obama. IN last years the musician became interested in conducting and performed with the Detroit symphony orchestra. Since 2007, Itzhak Perlman has been the chief conductor of the Saint Louis Symphonic Orchestra. Since 1975, the violinist has taught at Brooklyn College.
Perlman lives in New York with his wife Toby, also a violinist, and they have five children. The musician first came to Russia in the spring of 1990 together with the Israeli Philharmonic Orchestra directed by Zubin Mehta. It was extraordinary event— for the first time the USSR was visited by an orchestra and a violinist from Israel! The audience went crazy. The author of the article still remembers all the details of these amazing concerts.
Perlman played Tchaikovsky's violin concerto, and how he played! The audience still remembered the sounds of the violins of Oistrakh and Kogan, but the playing of the Israeli violinist was not inferior to them. On solo concert Tartini's sonata "Devil's Trills", E. Bloch's play "Nigun", works by Kreisler, Prokofiev, Tchaikovsky and others were performed. This concert remained in the memory forever. Then the violinist was accompanied by the wonderful pianist Janet Goodman-Guggenheim. Soon the disc and DVD “Perlman in Russia” was released.
In the winter of the same year, the violinist took part in anniversary concert to the 150th anniversary of the birth of P.I. Tchaikovsky in St. Petersburg, where he performed plays by the great Russian composer with the Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Yu. Temirkanov. The author of the article was at that unforgettable concert. At the same time, the outstanding American singer Jessie Norman, she performed Tchaikovsky's romances at French. The concert also featured the young pianist Boris Berezovsky, who received a gold medal at the Tchaikovsky Competition. Perlman's performance was unusually good, and the audience gave him a standing ovation.
And in September 2009, Perlman was back in Russia. He gave two concerts: with a classical program in Great hall Conservatory, and in a new hall in Barvikha (a Moscow suburb) he performed klezmer music. The tour was organized by Mercury. Ticket prices were very high, one might even say exorbitant, in particular, the price of one ticket for a concert in Barvikha was more than one and a half thousand dollars. And although the violinist’s performances aroused great interest, most music lovers who wanted to attend them were unable to do so. The halls were gaping with empty seats, especially in Barvikha.
The program at the conservatory consisted of works by Leclerc, Beethoven and Stravinsky. Let's start with the second part of the concert, which was more interesting. At the very beginning, Stravinsky’s “Italian Suite” was performed, the music of which is full of irony and mockery, and it sounded cold and detached, which is completely unusual for the violinist. He was accompanied by American pianist Rohan de Silva. Then the violinist played numerous encores: Kreisler’s pieces “At the Tempo of a Minuet” and “Chinese Tambourine”, Hummel’s “Rondo” (arranged by Heifetz), the famous “Melody” by Gluck (transcribed by Heifetz), Ries’ “Perpetuum Mobile”, “Song without Words” Tchaikovsky (arranged by Kreisler), “Oriental Sketch” by Rachmaninov (transcribed by Heifetz), an excerpt from the “Spanish Suite” by de Falla - Kreisler. The performance was virtuosic and bright: amazing violin tone, extraordinary legato and flowing beautiful sound. I remembered the old Perlman, whom we loved so much for his soulful performance. And the first part of the concert was, oddly enough, uninteresting and boring. Exquisitely charming sonata French composer Leclerc (1697-1764) sounded a bit rough, and even the famous “Tambourine” (the last movement of the sonata) was heavy. And the whole essay was in no way similar to music XVIII century. Then Beethoven's Seventh Sonata sounded, one of greatest works composer.
Unfortunately, it was played absolutely uninterestingly and formally. There were few overtones in the sound of the violin, and the entire performance was dry. And this is Beethoven with his deep feelings and experiences? What is the reason for such failure of the musician? As a rule, great violinists also attracted great pianists to perform Beethoven's sonatas, since the role of the piano is very important here. For example, D. Oistrakh played with L. Oborin and S. Richter, L. Kogan - with E. Gilels, and I. Stern - with E. Istomin and E. Bronfman, R. Ricci - with M. Argerich, and I. Menuhin - with G. Gould and W. Kempf and there are many such examples. And Perlman’s pianist, the American R. de Silva, is simply an accompanist and does not correspond to the rank of the violinist performing with him. It's a pity.
Perlman is currently conducting a lot and successfully, and the violin may have faded into the background, and this can be immediately felt. Overall the concert was disappointing, although the second part improved the situation somewhat. Perhaps the second concert in the Barvikha hall was more interesting, since Perlman is famous for performing klezmer music, but there was no way to get to this concert, and it was not possible to get a ticket for the press. The concert organizers were hostile to the Jewish press, although it was in the Jewish newspaper that there was an announcement about the violinist’s concerts. I can’t even believe it, but the official Jewish press is being denied an invitation to the Israeli-American violinist’s performance. There is something to think about. We hope that Perlman's next visit will not be so distant, and we will hear our favorite in excellent form.
In the meantime, let's enjoy Perlman's amazing recordings and remember the old days. The violinist has a lot of recordings, and they are all first-class. He recorded several violin sonatas with the outstanding pianist Martha Argerich. And this recording is extraordinarily good.

Yakov KOVALENSKY, Russia

His technically refined playing is characterized by a bright temperament, energy and expressiveness, combined with the nobility of sound and impeccable interpretation of the works.

Itzhak Perelman was born on August 31, 1945 in Jaffa (Tel Aviv). Studied at music school at the Shulamit Conservatory and with Ilona Feher at the Rubin Academy of Music in Tel Aviv. Exceptional success, despite the fact that he is always forced to use crutches and play while sitting (consequences of polio, which he suffered at the age of 4), allowed Perelman to start early concert activities. Even before he reached the age of ten, he began performing concerts on Israeli radio, and in 1958, Perelman first appeared on the popular American television show Ed Sullivan, after which he was provided with financial support to continue his studies in America. So in 1959, 14-year-old Itzhak, with the support of Isaac Stern, began studying with Ivan Galamyan and Dorothy DeLay at the Juilliard School of Music in New York. At that time, his idols were Jascha Kheifetz, David Oistrakh, Aizik Stern.

On March 5, 1963, Perelman made his successful debut in one of the most prestigious halls in New York - Carnegie Hall. Having won first prize at the Leventritt competition in next year, Isaac received the right to perform with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. By the way, an outstanding musician plays a Stradivarius violin from 1714.

In 1965, Perelman gave a series of concerts in Israel, including with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra (IPO). This creative collaboration between the outstanding violinist and the Israeli orchestra continued on long years. In 1987, he toured with the IFO in Warsaw and Budapest, and in 1990, when the Israelis visited the USSR for the first time, he performed with them: in May, Perelman performed in Moscow, accompanied by the IFO, “Violin Concerto” by P. Tchaikovsky, and in December of that same year with the Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Yuri Temirkanov - “Melancholy Serenade” and “Waltz-Scherzo” at the anniversary concert for the 150th anniversary of the composer’s birth.

A tour of Russia pushed the famous violinist to wonderful art their ancestors who once lived in these parts, to the art of klezmer, to their melodies and tunes. This is how the recording was born concert program Perelman’s “In the House of a Street Violinist,” about which Isaac himself later said: “Klezmer music flows in my blood.” In his performance, arrangements of famous Jewish melodies sounded in a completely new way (the songs “A Yiddishe Mame”, “Reizele”, “Oifn Pripechek” and others).

In 1994, Perelman accepted the invitation of the IFO leadership and went on tour with them in China and India. In general, Itzhak Perelman toured a lot and successfully, performing at the best stage areas in Europe, Northern and South America, Australia and countries Far East. These concerts cemented his reputation as an outstanding violinist. His technically refined playing is characterized by a bright temperament, energy and expressiveness, combined with the nobility of sound and impeccable interpretation of the works.

Perelman performs in collaboration with such conductors as Yu. Ormandy, K. M. Giulini, B. Haitink, Zubin Mehta, S. Ozawa, in an ensemble with the recently deceased cellist M. Rostropovich (“Double Concerto” by J. Brahms), violinist and violist Pinchas Tsukerman (“Double Concerto” by J. -S. Bach, “Duets” by L. Spohr), pianist Vladimir Ashkenazy (cycles of sonatas by L. Beethoven and J. Brahms) and others. Many of these performances were recorded on records.

Itzhak Perelman's repertoire also includes works written for him, including violin concertos by American composers I. Kim (1979) and R. Steyrer (1981). He also willingly plays jazz pieces (for example, compositions by A. Previn, his own arrangements for violin of “Ragtime” by S. Joplin, arrangements from the Broadway musical “Fiddler on the Roof” by Jerry Bock).

Since 1975, Itzhak Perelman has taught in the music department of Brooklyn College and often teaches classes supreme skill(including a class he founded in 1970 in Rochester, New York). In 1986, Perelman's outstanding achievements and contributions to the development of cultural life The United States was awarded the Medal of Freedom, which was presented to him by the country's President Ronald Reagan.

Itzhak Perelman lives in New York with his wife Toby. In 1995, the Perelman couple founded special program studying chamber music in Shelter Island, New York, providing talented young violinists with the opportunity to study and socialize during the summer vacation.

In 2003, Itzhak Perelman created the Dorothy Richard Starling Fund at the Juilliard School of Music for talented young violinists in honor of his teacher Dorothy DeLay. And most recently, on May 7, 2007, he received an invitation to play during a gala dinner at the White House in honor of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth of England.

Recently, absolutely by accident, I discovered the new name of the violin virtuoso Itzhak Perlman; to my shame, I had never heard of him before. His unusually expressive performance of Rachmaninov's Vocalise could not leave me indifferent. I looked for more recordings, found some of my favorite works, the musician is truly unique, distinguished by his unique interpretations of the classics.

Vocalise by Rachmaninoff

short biography:
One of the greatest violinists of the second half of the 20th century, Itzhak Perlman, was born in August 1945 in Tel Aviv into a family of Jewish immigrants from Poland. I became interested in the violin after hearing a concert classical music on the radio. At the age of four, Isaac contracted polio and was disabled for the rest of his life. He walks on crutches and plays while sitting. This did not stop him from making a brilliant career. He began studying violin at the Academy of Music in Tel Aviv, and soon at the Juilliard School in New York with outstanding teachers Ivan Galamyan (Russian violin school) and Dorothy De Lay. His first performance took place on American radio at the age of ten. The violinist's brilliant debut on stage took place in 1963 at Carnegie Hall, and soon he won the American Leventritt Competition.

Since that time, Perlman began to give concerts widely around the world. His playing is distinguished by fantastic technique, beautiful sound - warm, velvety, rich - and deep penetration into the composer's intention. All styles are subject to him.
Perlman has an incredible number of recordings on the best companies in the world, including jazz compositions with O. Peterson and other jazzists. He participated in the recording of Jerry Bock's Broadway musical Fiddler on the Roof. The discs also contain almost all of Perlman's classical violin music. He plays Stradivarius violins from 1714 (the instrument previously belonged to I. Menuhin) and Guarneri from 1743.
The violinist is the winner of four Emmy awards, fifteen Grammy awards, and two Oscars for the soundtracks to the films Schindler's List and Memoirs of a Geisha.

Soundtrack to the film "Schindler's List"

He also performed arias from operas (bass) several times and in 1981 even participated in the recording of Puccini's Tosca, starring Renata Scotto, Placido Domingo and Renato Bruzon.

The musician first came to Russia in the spring of 1990 with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Zubin Mehta. It was an extraordinary event - for the first time the USSR was visited by an orchestra and a violinist from Israel! The audience went crazy. The author of the article still remembers all the details of these amazing concerts.
Perlman played Tchaikovsky's violin concerto, and how he played! The audience still remembered the sounds of the violins of Oistrakh and Kogan, but the playing of the Israeli violinist was not inferior to them. At the recital they performed Tartini's sonata "The Devil's Trills", E. Bloch's play "Nigun", works by Kreisler, Prokofiev, Tchaikovsky and others. This concert remained in my memory forever. Then the violinist was accompanied by the wonderful pianist Janet Goodman-Guggenheim. Soon the disc and DVD “Perlman in Russia” was released.

Tchaikovsky - violin concerto - Allegro moderato part I (the image is terrible, but the main thing here is the sound!)

In the winter of the same year, the violinist took part in an anniversary concert dedicated to the 150th anniversary of the birth of P.I. Tchaikovsky in St. Petersburg, where he performed plays by the great Russian composer with the Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Yu. Temirkanov.
Perlman's performance was unusually good, and the audience gave him a standing ovation.

Since 1975, Itzhak Perelman has taught in the music department of Brooklyn College, often teaching advanced classes (including the class he founded in 1970 in Rochester, New York). In 1986, Perelman's outstanding achievements and contribution to the development of cultural life in the United States were awarded the Medal of Freedom, which was presented to him by the country's President Ronald Reagan.

Itzhak Perelman lives in New York with his wife Toby, also a violinist, and they have five children. In 1995, the Perelmans founded the chamber music program at Shelter Island, New York, providing talented young violinists with the opportunity to study and socialize during the summer holidays.

In 2003, Itzhak Perelman created the Dorothy Richard Starling Fund at the Juilliard School of Music for talented young violinists in honor of his teacher Dorothy DeLay. In May 2007, he performed at the White House dinner for the British Queen and the Prince of Edinburgh. Two years later, Perlman took part in the inauguration of President Barack Obama.

What I managed to find and embed from my favorite works:

J. S. Bach "Chaconne from Partita No. 2 d-moll"

Saint-Saens "Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso"

Sarasate "Gypsy tunes"

Kreisler "Prelude and Allegro" (

One of the greatest violinists of the second half of the 20th century, Itzhak Perlman, was born in August 1945 in Tel Aviv into a family of Jewish immigrants from Poland. From early childhood the boy showed great interest in music, and his gift was obvious.

At the age of four, Isaac contracted polio and was disabled for the rest of his life. He walks on crutches and plays while sitting. This did not stop him from making a brilliant career.

He began studying violin at the Academy of Music in Tel Aviv, and soon at the Juilliard School in New York with outstanding teachers Ivan Galamyan (Russian violin school) and Dorothy De Lay. His first performance took place on American radio at the age of ten. The violinist's brilliant debut on stage took place in 1963 at Carnegie Hall, and soon he won the American Leventritt Competition.

Since that time, Perlman began to give concerts widely around the world. He has appeared on American TV more than once in various programs. His playing is distinguished by fantastic technique, beautiful sound - warm, velvety, rich - and deep penetration into the composer's intention. All styles are subject to him.

The violinist is interested not only in the classical repertoire, he records music for films, for example, for the acclaimed film “Schindler's List” (composer D. Williams). And recently he recorded the music for the film “Memoirs of a Geisha” together with the American cellist Io-Io-Ma. Perlman has an incredible number of recordings on the best companies in the world, including jazz compositions with O. Peterson and other jazzists. He participated in the recording of Jerry Bock's Broadway musical Fiddler on the Roof. The discs also contain almost all of Perlman's classical violin music. He plays Stradivarius violins from 1714 (the instrument previously belonged to I. Menuhin) and Guarneri from 1743. The violinist has received a Grammy Award five times - in 1979, 1981, 1982, 1988 and 1991 - more than any other classical musician. In 2008, Perlman received an honorary Grammy award for musical achievements in the field of recording, in 1986 he received the Kennedy Center Prize, and President R. Reagan awarded him the Medal of Freedom. In 2000, President Clinton presented him with the National Medal of Arts.

Itzhak Perlman - Melancholic Serenade, op.26 (P. Tchaikovsky)

Perlman played at the 2007 White House reception for Queen Elizabeth and at the 2009 inauguration of President Barack Obama. In recent years, the musician has become interested in conducting and performed with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. Since 2007, Itzhak Perlman has been the chief conductor of the Saint Louis Symphonic Orchestra. Since 1975, the violinist has taught at Brooklyn College.