The Violinist

By seven-thirty, the hubbub of the arriving concertgoers fills the great auditorium. People are directed by the mostly silver-haired ushers to their assigned seats. They settle in to read their programs, but must occasionally rise to make room for latecomers to reach their seats. An air of expectation animates the concertgoers, as this is the first time in several years that the renowned violinist has come here to the Bay Area.

The audience in the Zellerbach Hall on the Berkeley campus of the University of California falls silent as the house lights dim. At five minutes past the hour, applause begins, and increases in volume and enthusiasm. Itzhak Perlman shuffles onto the stage, followed by his accompanist, pianist Rohan de Silva, and a young woman who will be the page-turner for de Silva.

As the applause rises, Perlman bows in acknowledgment, and then de Silva does the same. This brings on louder applause. Perlman grins and shuffles over to his chair.

The violinist eases himself onto the chair, drops his crutches neatly to either side, and de Silva passes him the Stradivarius and then the bow. Perlman takes his white handkerchief from the pocket of his tuxedo, and places it on the chin-rest of the violin. De Silva sounds a note on the piano, and Perlman plucks a string on his violin. They exchange looks, smile, and launch into Schubert's Rondeau Brillant for Violin and Piano in B minor, Op.70.

Then comes Franck's Sonata for Violin and Piano in A major — a CD of which I happen to own — which is possibly one of the best-known of Franck's works after his Symphony in D minor.

After the intermission, the pair performed a contemporary work by Lukas Foss, Three American Pieces for Violin and Piano, which we had not heard before, but which we found to be quite listenable with its subtle rhythms and hints of Broadway.

When the applause had died down, Perlman and de Silva returned for several encores, either transcribed, composed, or informed by Fritz Kreisler. Perlman, with his customary understated humor, offered commentaries before each encore that further delighted his fans.

We last enjoyed a performance by Itzhak Perlman twenty-two years ago at the old Paramount Theatre in Oakland (since beautifully refurbished) and, like a fine cognac, the guy has only improved with age.