PBS’ ‘American Masters: Itzhak’ profiles a classical music giant
One needn’t be a classical music fan to appreciate the “American Masters” documentary “Itzhak.” But it couldn’t hurt.
Premiering Sunday, Oct. 14, on PBS (check local listings), the 90-minute film from Alison Chernick (“Matthew Barney: No Restraint”) paints an intimate portrait of world-renowned violinist Itzhak Perlman as a thoughtful, articulate and likeable man who triumphed over polio at an early age to rise to the top of his profession.
“I always had to fight the people’s opinions about what a person with a disability can or cannot do,” Perlman explained to a recent gathering of journalists in Beverly Hills, Calif. “... And then when I had this opportunity to go to the states, to ‘The Ed Sullivan Show’ (in 1958), that basically solved all my problems as to ... whether I could do it or not. And, of course, my parents always believed in me and that was really very, very important.”
The film captures the Israeliborn and -raised Perlman, now 73 and wheelchair-bound, at his Manhattan home with his large Jewish family, teaching music at Juilliard and in conversations with family and friends, including actor Alan Alda, singer Billy Joel, pianist Martha Argerich, cellist Mischa Maisky and his wife of 50 years, Toby.
And then of course, there are the musical performances, which are many and demonstrate his incredible technique and ability to express emotion through his violin.
“I’m transported by the actual music,” Perlman explains. “You know, I’m thinking about what the music says to me and how I can express that music. So ... it consists basically of harmonies and notes and sometimes harmonies have a way of transforming somebody’s emotions. And in my case, if there is a harmonic experience, if you will, in a piece of music, it does something to me, and I react appropriately.”