It is a common occurrence these days for ageing virtuosi
to ‘diversify’ into the world of conducting, only to sink into obscurity
(or mediocrity) upon reaching the podium. Fortunately, Itzhak Perlman
does not succumb to this fate; on this occasion, his professional and
accomplished conducting was as masterly - if not quite as technically
astounding - as his violin playing, and his musical dignity was left
fully intact!
He had trained his orchestra well; Divertimento
in F, K.138 was as exciting and fresh as I have ever heard it,
and – despite occasional slack ensemble – boasted an engaging degree
of tension. Adagio and Fugue in C minor, K.546 was a powerful
and unfailingly dramatic conclusion to the first half. More drama followed
after the interval - Symphony No.41 (Jupiter) was given
a sparkling performance that expertly captured the finality and definition
of the work.
But what on earth was Perlman thinking at the beginning
of the concert? The opening performance of Violin Concerto No.3
was played in an overtly romantic manner, and did not demonstrate the
security that might be expected from an artist so familiar with his
repertoire. Although the beautiful sound for which he is renowned was
as present as ever, it was spoilt by tasteless rubato - humoured by
a sympathetic and alert LPO - and liberal doses of portamento. Admittedly,
such idiosyncrasies as these can be viewed as somewhat endearing hallmarks
of Perlman’s predominant romanticism, but that was no excuse for the
bland, rushed cadenza. This – ironically the one part of the piece where
liberties can be taken – was airless and perfunctory. If Perlman can
be so exemplarily stylistic when conducting Mozart, why not so when
playing it?
Simon Hewitt Jones
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