Happy Rosh Hashanah: Itzhak Perlman releases 'Eternal Echoes: Songs and Dances for the Soul'

Happy Rosh Hashanah for the many Jewish friends among us, and to make it happier, this month Itzhak Perlman released a new recording of Jewish liturgical and traditional music, called Eternal Echoes: Songs and Dances for the Soul.

Perlman helped bring klezmer music to a broader audience when he recorded the soundtrack for the 1993 movie 'Schindler's List'. Ironically, perhaps, the music for "Schindler's List" was not from any kind of Jewish canon; it was written by movie music composer John Williams. To that, Perlman said in the video interview posted below, "I couldn't believe how authentic (Williams) got everything to sound." one might argue that it was Perlman who shot the music through with authenticity!

 

 

Photo by Akira Kinoshita

 

In any case, Perlman's latest project features traditional Jewish works, 10 tracks in all, in collaboration with Israeli-born Cantor Yitzchak Meir Helfgot, chamber orchestra and other klezmer musicians.

Perlman has said that his idea “was to do ‘Jewish comfort music’ – everything that I recognize from my childhood is in this program…There is so much history in this music. For me, every little musical groan or sob that happens is Jewish history. It makes you think.”

 

아이작 펄먼(Itzhak Perlman)은 현란한 기교적 연주로 유명하다. 세련된 세부 처리로 많은 평론가들로부터 당대 최고의 바이올린 연주자 중의 하나라는 평을 받고 있다. 4세 때 소아마비를 앓은 뒤 다리를 절게 되었다. 10세 때 텔아비브에서 첫 공개연주회를 가졌고, 1958년 뉴욕 시에 있는 줄리아드 학교에 입학하여 이반 갈라미인과 도로시 딜레이 등에게 배웠다. 1963년 카네기 홀에 데뷔, 1년 뒤 레벤트리트 콩쿠르 입상을 계기로 곧바로 미국의 주요 관현악단들과 계약을 맺었다. 1965년 이스라엘로 돌아와 성공적인 순회공연을 했지만 계속 뉴욕 시를 정착지로 삼았고, 1968년 런던에 데뷔했다. 이후 전세계의 국제적인 연주회에 참가했고, 수많은 음악제에서 연주와 강의를 했으며, 녹음도 활발히 했다.

 

Perlman has said that his idea “was to do ‘Jewish comfort music’ – everything that I recognize from my childhood is in this program…There is so much history in this music. For me, every little musical groan or sob that happens is Jewish history. It makes you think.”

You can find out more about the album on Perlman's website.

 

Here is "Kol Nidrei" from Eternal Echoes: Songs and Dances for the Soul, with Itzhak Perlman and Cantor Yitzchak Meir Helfgot:

 

 

 

 

And for old times' sake: a live performance from 1995 of "Schindler's List Theme,"

with Itzhak Perlman playing and John Williams conducting.