Sibelius - Violin Concerto [Perlman/ Leinsdorf-Boston Symphony Orchestra]Sibelius's Violin Concerto is a work that has had a resurgence with me in the last year, i've fallen deeper in love with this Concerto, and bought a number of recordings which have deepened my understanding of its structure and beauty, this recording is one of them.
I'm sure Perlman has recorded this work many times, this one was recorded in 1966 when Perlman was 21!, a real youngster, but the picture on the front gives the false impression he was easily twice that age, i love the booklet picture by Bette Marshall, the colour combinations are superb, green and pink? go together so well.
I would say that Perlman is my favourite Violinist, he has an incredible technique, he can play so fast and pure, and because he has polio, which has caught up with him in later life, he can only play sitting down.
Well i must admit i was taken aback by the second movement Adagio, it's a great aching tune, in a nice minor key, there's pathos in the main tune as it turns to yearning [1:47-2:17], and it's this very segment that comes back toward the end in full red-blooded forte and power [5:21-5:49], that is heart stopping, there's a darkness and melancholy there, i can hear so much of the Second Symphony in this movement, what a Concerto!.
Here's Perlman playing the third movement of this recording on YouTube.
