[Woody’s [rating: 5]
Itzhak Perlman
“Perfect. Perfect. Absolutely perfect.”
That’s how an elderly guy in my row at Davies Symphony Hall in San Francisco described the Itzhak Perlman violin recital we’d just experienced.
“That was transcendent,” said a nearby woman. “A real privilege to hear one of the true musical geniuses of our time.”
I felt compelled to merely nod assent.
Frankly, I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve been charmed by the master musician.
I do know, however, that it’s been every time I’ve seen him — dating back to when the 69-year-old’s hair was dark instead of silver.
I’m such a fan I even watched him act as a KQED-TV pledge-drive pitchman the night before, peddling SmorgasBorge, a multi-DVD set that showcased the best of the late classical pianist-clown Victor Borge.
At Davies, most music lovers were as rapt as I, many of them pushing forward as far as possible in their seats, hoping to hear even a smidgeon better.
It was truly breathtaking to be in a totally silent hall while Perlman played, accompanied by his frequent collaborator, pianist Rohan de Silva.
Every tone could be experienced delicately.
That particular evening, not a single throat-clearing or cough occurred during any of the Beethoven, Grieg and Ravel sonatas he stroked. Scores of attendees showed their respect by controlling their bodily needs.
Until the various movements ended.
Then, cacophony.
Spellbinding, too, was Perlman relaxing his hands in his lap during solo piano passages. His Soil Stradivarius jutted straight out from his chin, appearing to be as natural an extension of his body as one of his arms.
The musician’s work is so consistently exquisite I often can’t pick a favorite piece or segment. But that night I did revel in the third movement of the Ravel, with Perlman stretching beautifully from pizzicato purity to bowing as fast as a bullet train racing into Tokyo station.
I also loved the diversity of his encore, nine short pieces with an emphasis on original compositions, adaptations and translations by Fritz Kreisler.
With a couple of Jascha Heifetz quickies tossed in for good measure.
The half-hour encore ranged from Prokofiev’s “The Love for Three Oranges,” to John Williams’ “Schindler’s List” theme that Perlman had played for the film, to lesser known music by lesser known dead composers (including one the violinist claimed everyone should know because ‘he got a lot of likes on Facebook”).
During the recital’s final segment, Perlman, who’d been wordless during the pre-programmed material, displayed great warmth and likeability — and an even greater sense of humor.
He drew laughs with self-deprecating one-liners and you-had-to-be-there references to “unknown” composers and compositions, and by twice shaking off de Silva like a pitcher rejecting a sign his catcher had flashed him.
After his bows, I overheard a conversation at Davies that went like this:
“Have you seen him before?” “Yes.” “Is he always this jaw-dropping?” “Yes.”
Perlman, who contracted polio at age 4, learned to walk on crutches. He still uses them, but most often rides an electric scooter onto a stage.
He did that at Davies.
The violin virtuoso’s been quoted as saying, “There are people who are…finished products at a young age. I wasn’t, thank God.”
Upcoming soloists at Davies, Grove Street (between Van Ness and Franklin), San Francisco, will include “Organ Recital with Paul Jacobs” on Jan. 25, “András Schiff in Recital” on Feb. 15, “András Schiff Plays Beethoven” on Feb. 22, and “Patti LuPone: Far Away Places” on Feb. 23. Information: (415) 864-6400 or www.sfsymphony.org.
Contact Woody Weingarten at voodee@sbcglobal.net or check out his blog at www.vitalitypress.com/
