For anyone who already has a recording of the unavoidable Bruch G minor Concerto, Perlman's coupling of his two 'next-best' concertante violin works makes a very attractive record, both of them richly enjoyable pieces, particularly in performances so masterly as these, effectively leading you over the obvious weaknesses and bringing out the richly lyrical warmth alongside exuberant virtuosity.
My one hesitation on first seeing the disc was to wonder why Perlman after barely a decade wanted to re-record this very coupling on the same label. He did it for EMI in 1977 with Jesus Lopez-Cobos and the New Philharmonia, one of his most magical records ever (ASD3310, 6/77—nla). I remembered my disappointment, when similarly he re-recorded his coupling of Bruch's G minor and the Mendelssohn, and failed consistently to match his earlier version with Previn and the LSO. In the first movement of the Second Concerto, my fears at first seemed to be confirmed. This time, with a bright, forward recording made in the unhelpful acoustic of the Mann Auditorium in Tel-Aviv, the result is altogether heavier and less reflective, powerfully convincing in its virtuoso command, but more external, altogether less mysterious than before.
Whatever the disappointment there and the reflective moments of the Scottish Fantasy bring a similar contrast—I quickly came to see why Perlman wanted to re-dothis coupling. The new version may not have the same spontaneous, intimate magic as the earlier one, but the bite in Bruch's faster movement is far keener with the Israel orchestra under Mehta than it was from the New Philharmonia. The curious middle movement of the concerto, labelled ''Recitative'' and alternating powerful orchestral chords with solo comment, sounded limp by comparison. In the finale of the concerto, too, Mehta is more successful than Lopez-Cobos at round off the curiously fore-shortened coda, and the Scots 'wha hae' finale of the Scottish Fantasy too also has far more panache in the new version.
Such comparisons may be rather academic, when that earlier record is no longer available. This is currently a unique and very desirable coupling, and the first ever CD of the concerto, but a comparison between the new Perlman of the Scottish Fantasy and Cho-Liang Lin's CBS version intensifies that contrast between a masterful, extrovert approach and one which sets the virtuoso bravura against more thoughtful, more fanciful playing in the more lyrical, intimate moments. My preference in that work remains with Lin, and though his recording is set back and not so bright as the EMI, it is less wearing than the Tel-Aviv sound. But all in all a fine coupling.'