Concert review: Itzhak Perlman (violin) Colorado Symphony Orchestra/Peter Oundjian

The month of February opened in New York City with a memorable concert at Carnegie Hall: Itzhak Perlman performing a ‘violin recital with orchestra’ (his own words) with the Colorado Symphony conducted by Peter Oundjian. Once the first violinist of the Tokyo Quartet, Oundjian studied with Perlman before focal dystonia ended his playing career. Since becoming a conductor, he has shared the stage with Perlman around the globe, the warmth and generosity of their friendship evident in both performances and their friendly banter.

After the New York premiere of John Adams’s Frenzy, wonderfully executed with tight ensemble and energetic string playing by the Colorado Symphony, Perlman joined for Dvořák’s Romance, which was performed with tremendous grace. Perlman was clearly enjoying himself in the three Kreisler pieces too. The Theme from the film Schindler’s List – by John Williams and originally performed by Perlman – had a real depth of beauty, and impossibly straight bowing. Gardel’s lively Tango, Por una Cabeza for violin and orchestra closed Perlman’s time on stage – and anything that Perlman might have been lacking in chops at this point in his career, he more than made up for with charisma and generosity.

The concert concluded with a dramatic performance of Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition, featuring sensitive woodwind playing, a luscious string sound and beautiful brass chorales.

Leah Hollingsworth