Itzhak Perlman Virtuoso Violinist

Product Description This DVD is an intimate account of the formative years in the life and career of one of the leading violinists of our time. Itzhak Perlman fell in love with the sounds of the violin at the age of 3 1/2 but contracted polio a few months later and was soon to learn that it would be impossible, with his handicap, for him to pursue a high-level career as a violinist. Not only has he suceeded in doing what the world thought quite impossible but he has done it on a level that few have matched. It is a heartening story of the spectacular triumph of talent, determination, character and tenacity over seemingly insurmountable odds, producing truly glorious results along the way. Review Lasting nearly two hours, Allegro Film's latest reissue is in three sections. The first section 'I know I played every note', is the inspiring and heart-warming documentary of Itzhak Perlman shot in 1978; it is a frank and intimate portrait of the great violinist and a classic of its kind. In sections two and three, 'The Trout Remembered' and 'Jacqueline du Pre Remembered', the present-day Perlman reminisces movingly and fondly about the much-missed cellist. Finally, he plays Bach's E major and D minor Partitas - quite magnificently - at a 1978 Radio 3 lunchtime concert in St. John's, Smith Square. A DVD to treasure and return to. -- Classic FM, March 2008, Jeremy Nicholas