Music Remains Fresh for Perlman

(first published in The Cincinnati Post July 23, 1992)

He plays Bach, Beethoven and Brahms.

He also crosses over into Brubeck, Joplin and P.D.Q. Bach.

But whatever violinist Itzhak Perlman plays, "it's got to work," he said, in a telephone interview from New York.

"Just to say, let's have some famous Broadway composer write you a violin piece, if it doesn't work, I don't care how attractive it looks on paper."

There'll be no such tricks up Perlman's sleeve when he performs with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra Saturday led by music director Jesús López-Cobos Saturday night at Riverbend. He'll be playing the Brahms Violin Concerto, one of the hardy perennials of the violin repertoire.

How does he keep it fresh after umpteen performances? "It's a good piece. It's easy (to keep fresh)," he said.

Playing outdoors can be more difficult, though. "I've performed in such extreme situations I cannot believe it. Just recently in Chicago, it was 38 degrees. We had, like, 12 heaters on the stage. The more usual thing is performing in 95 percent humidity and 90s temperatures, so you do the best you can."

His Stradivarius violin sometimes objects, he said, "so you keep it in the air-conditioned room as long as possible. And after summer it's usually a good idea to take it to the shop."

Perlman, 46, has been asked to do "plenty" of crossover ventures. "There are so many suggestions record companies come up with. Some of them are so ludicrous. 'Why don't we have Bozo the Clown together with blah-blah?' Everybody is trying to pull gimmicks, the more gimmicky the better.

That's because nobody knows what's going to sell, he said. "I find it a real mystery, and so do the record companies. Sometimes things that you least expect will do very well, and things that are really very, very good don't do very well at all. I suppose capturing the imagination of the listener is one thing. Maybe proper PR is another."

For Perlman, though, the bottom line is whether he enjoys it or not. "If I enjoy it, then I do it. But to do it just for the sake of being gimmicky is something that I don't like to do."

He has recorded jazz and ragtime with Andre Previn and the best-selling "Tradition" (Jewish melodies) with the Israel Philharmonic. Last year he played a concert with musical humorist Peter Schickele (alias P.D.Q. Bach) to benefit the Israel Philharmonic. "We did 'Concertshtick' - it was a premiere. We did 'Schlepptet,' one of his earlier works, P.D.Q. No. 4,587. We had a terrific time."

The recent Yo-Yo Ma/Bobby McFerrin album "Hush" is another example of artists having a good time, he said.

"They're very good friends, so when you put something like this together it makes sense."

The world's most celebrated violinist, Perlman is one of classical music's most effective and personable ambassadors. Born in Tel Aviv to Polish parents, he captured public attention in 1958 by performing on the "Ed Sullivan Show" (he was 13). In 1964, he won the prestigious Leventritt Competition. He has appeared on TV talk shows, "Sesame Street" and "The Frugal Gourmet" and hosted PBS specials.

Stricken by polio at 4, Perlman also has been a strong advocate for the disabled. He walks with the aid of crutches, and plays the violin sitting down.

Classical music is going through a difficult period now, he said. "You think about orchestras, which are in deep trouble financially."

He believes classical music is here to stay. "It's lasted so long. It has a good track record."

Bringing the classics to young people is getting harder, he acknowledged. There is a "lack of opportunity to listen to classical music, on radio or television. But I think a lot of it has to do with the kind of education we're getting in this country in the field of music and the arts. Music appreciation is a subject of disdain among the kids, and that's because of the lack of good teaching."

Parents also tend to be "very lazy," Perlman said. "They don't really care sometimes. You'd think, look, I'm paying money for private schools, or my son or daughter goes to a public school, they should get educated. I feel that it (music) is a very important part of education. You don't think twice about taking math or history, but music seems to be a big pain. That kind of attitude makes it much more difficult for kids to appreciate it."

If parents exposed their children to classical music at home and at concerts, "it's a very easy task," he said.

Perlman and his wife Toby have five children, ages 23 to 8, and they're all interested in classical music. They play the piano, flute, trumpet and drums. "None of them play the violin, thank God, but of their own choosing, not to do with me."

Two of them also sing, having inherited their father's vocal talent. Perlman is gifted with a beautiful bass voice, and "probably" would have pursued singing if he had not played the violin (he once sang on TV with tenor Luciano Pavarotti). He saves his voice now for "tunnels, elevators and bathrooms," he said with a laugh.

Perlman holds out for the best in whatever he does. He's won lots of Grammys - "13 or 14," he thinks ("Gee, I don't know. I'm not sure.") And he's not interested in conducting or composing. "There's still plenty of stuff for me to play."

Itzhak Perlman at Riverbend

Violinist Itzhak Perlman will perform Brahms' Violin Concerto with the Cincinnati Symphony conducted by Jesús López-Cobos at 8:30 p.m. Saturday at Riverbend. Also on the program are Rossini's Overture to "William Tell" and Dvorak's Symphony No. 4. Tickets are $28 and $25 for the pavilion, $10 for the lawn. Children under 12 admitted free to the lawn when accompanied by a ticketed adult. Call 381-3300.