Violinist Perlman Returns to Davies to Lead SFS

Itzhak Perlman with his violin (from the SFS Web page for last night’s program)

Last night violinist Itzhak Perlman returned to Davies Symphony Hall for the third consecutive season. However, while he may well have been the most popular recitalist in the last two Great Performers Series seasons, last night he assumed the podium of the San Francisco Symphony. In his role as conductor, he led the San Francisco Symphony (SFS) in performances of Johannes Brahms’ Opus 80 “Academic Festival Overture” before the intermission and Antonín Dvořák’s Opus 88 (eighth) symphony in G major in the second half of the program. On the other hand, he began the evening with Johann Sebastian Bach’s BWV 1041 violin concerto in A minor, conducting while playing the solo violin part. In other words, a modest offering of music from the early eighteenth century gave way to a major journey through the late nineteenth.

The Brahms-Dvořák connection is an interesting one. The latter was an early success in Prague but did not receive broader attention until winning a prize at the Austrian State Competition, where Brahms was one of the members of the jury. It was through that “Brahms connection” that Fritz Simrock became Dvořák’s publisher. It was therefore interesting to see that the Brahms and Dvořák selections were composed at both ends of the same decade. The overture was composed in 1880 and the symphony in 1889.

Both works were given thoroughly engaging accounts under Perlman’s baton. His chemistry with the ensemble could not have been better. The same can be said for the beginning of the program, where he doubled as both soloist and leader. The selection was Johann Sebastian Bach’s BWV 1041, his first violin concerto composed in the key of A minor. This was performed with a reduced string ensemble, taking a “historically appropriate” approach. The instruments were, of course, more “contemporary;” but the way in which they were deployed under Perlman’s leadership made for an engaging account, regardless of any historical issues!

As always, the audience gave Perlman a generous reception for his return to San Francisco; and, given the overall quality of the full evening’s performance, they had every right to do so!