This 1967 Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto is more or less contemporaneous with Itzhak Perlman’s other recording made with Erich Leinsdorf and the Boston Symphony (type Q7689 in Search Reviews). Not surprisingly it shares many of the same virtues, namely power, polish, and a bewitchingly sweet tone. If the violinist sounds more self-assured on the Boston recording, it’s only slightly so. Otherwise the trademark Perlman poise and showmanship (if of a less refined variety than his later rendition on EMI) is fully evident. The sound is somewhat limited dynamically, but otherwise it’s fine.
No such qualifications are necessary regarding the warm, spacious, and detailed sound on the 1994 Serenade for Strings. Gilbert Varga leads the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra in a richly textured yet finely articulated reading of Tchaikovsky’s popular score, right from the delineated pulses of the first movement’s stately theme, to the ingratiating lilt of the Waltz, to Varga’s nicely flowing pulse in the poignant Elegy. Only the Finale, taken at an inexplicably slow tempo, fails to beguile. In all, this proves an interesting program (very attractive at its budget price) that while not a first choice for either work, will be especially welcomed by Perlman collectors.
