Talk:Itzhak Perlman

3-string legend
Hi! I just wanted to know if someone can confirm this anecdote taken from an ophthalmologic book from Dr. Fernando Pellegrino: On November 18, 1994 Perlman gave a concert in the Lincoln Center in New York. Just at the beggining one of his violin´s strings broke, and instead of standing up and pick a new string (which would have took him severeal minutes due to his reduced mobility), he asked the band to start again and he continued the concert playing only with three strings (presumably re-composing parts of the piece in order to fit the three stringed violin). This may be quite exaggerated and the fact that the book from wich was taken is about a subject so distant to Music or even History makes me reticent to post it in the main article. Best Regards --Javier Jelovcan 18:18, 21 March 2006 (UTC)

-It's not totally implausible, although I can't vouch for the validity of the story. Paganini is rumored to have, on some occasions, filed his strings down near the bridge, so that during a concert, when hit hard enough, they would break. He would systematically break the top three strings and continue playing the entire piece on the G string. Perlman isn't, of course, as skilled as Paganini, but I have no doubt that he is skilled enough to play with only one string gone. Of course, it does depend on what pieces he was playing. Any piece that required him to go reasonably high on the E string (assuming that's the one that was broken) would have been technically impossible to perform without that string. It's possible to play very high pitches on the A string, but not the extent the E can offer.


 * Sorry Javier, the story is almost certainly an urban legend: See this article on Snopes.com Kla'quot Sound 18:17, 3 September 2006 (UTC)


 * I confirmed through a personal friend of Perlman that this story is not true. I have no doubt that Perlman can pull off such stunt if he wants to, though. Fred Hsu 18:41, 23 September 2006 (UTC)

So Sad
Somebody should really write more about one of the greatest violinist that ever lived. ZACK 22:21, 11 April 2007 (UTC)

"Official Myspace's page"
I really have my doubts that it's his MySpace page. Info on the MySpace page says: Køn: Female Status: Single Alder: 108 Tegn: Capricorn

By: NEW YORK Region: New York Land: US

Peacock and weasel
The lead has the following: "He is widely considered as one of the preeminent violin virtuosos of 20th century." I have no doubt this is true. Howver, that sentence contains both weasel words ("widely considered") and peacock terms (preeminent, virtuosos). Can someone fix it? SlowJog (talk) 21:40, 6 June 2009 (UTC)

Not that I question Perlman's preeminence, but there should be a source or documentation for such a declaration. 96.225.77.138 (talk) 01:10, 14 July 2009 (UTC)Kolef8896.225.77.138 (talk) 01:10, 14 July 2009 (UTC)


 * Indeed. Also, according to the guidelines in the "peacock terms" article, instead of simply *telling*, it should *show* why he is preeminent. SlowJog (talk) 13:46, 16 July 2009 (UTC)

His pre-eminence is irrefutable to those with ears to hear and eyes to see. I would suggest that anyone who has any doubt should watch him play and LISTEN very, very carefully. If you need someone else to verify what is obvious, you have missed the point entirely. Triptet (talk) 02:18, 26 January 2010 (UTC)


 * No doubt Perlman is one of the greatest living violinists, but the article has to be encyclopedic, and claims of "greatness" have no place here.--Karljoos (talk) 12:45, 26 January 2010 (UTC)


 * Unless, of course, we have reliable sources that we reference.--Peter cohen (talk) 20:55, 26 January 2010 (UTC)


 * No, even when referenced.--Karljoos (talk) 01:22, 26 March 2010 (UTC)

Israeli and American
Lives in USA, and is also Israeli. Such is considered also in Dictionnaire des interpretes by Alan Paris, Robert Laffont, Paris, 1995.


 * Living in the States does not make him American. Nationality is a legal status and he had to become, legally, American to be one, and since he is an immigrant in the States (he wasn't born there) a source is needed to call him American, Israeli or Israeli-American. Also, he wasn't born in Israel, because in 1945 Israel did not exist then (it was the British Mandate of Palestine). I don't know his nationality and that's why I put back the citation needed - tag on his nationality in the intro.--Karljoos (talk) 01:28, 26 March 2010 (UTC)
 * The territory of 'Israel' has existed since at least 1200 B.C. - political shenanigans aside. Just as 'Armenia' has existed when it was part of another political state.  Stating he was born in Israel is just fine and correct. 'Poland' is another such historical land that always "exists" even when partitioned by three claimant states in the past.  — Preceding unsigned comment added by 50.111.45.222 (talk) 07:26, 14 November 2021 (UTC)
 * Well, he was born in what was to become Israel, but I agree that we need a source for the claim that he is Israeli American. — Air plane  man — 02:31, 26 March 2010 (UTC)

His picture is featured on the Israel-Americans article. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 96.3.76.109 (talk) 22:18, 8 June 2010 (UTC)
 * So? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 83.33.48.177 (talk) 17:25, 22 July 2010 (UTC)

Cleaning up references
I notice a few bad practices in the references: links to articles through university proxy, dead links. Anyhow, I'll search for a few fixes. Now I just have to apply these changes. Btw, anyone have a WP policy article about links to those kind of library access articles? Nfette (talk) 07:31, 30 September 2014 (UTC)
 * About the violins. They have their own wiki articles, maybe don't need the external reference here. But the address has changed, looks like due to a change of site ownership. current link 1 to http://tarisio.com/cozio-archive/browse-the-archive/owners/?Entity_ID=4732 accessed 2014-09-30.
 * current link 2 to "Israeli Violin Prodigy Admits He Likes Jazz:   But Doesn't Play It, Says Lad, 13, Who Overcame Polio to Become Noted Artist", Los Angeles Times, 1958-11-29, page B1. Abstract accessed 2014-09-30.
 * current link 3 to Tully Potter. "Perlman, Itzhak." Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. Oxford University Press, http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/article/grove/music/21349 accessed 2014-09-30.
 * current link 4 is page not found. However, there is another on this site: http://www.enotes.com/homework-help/who-was-itzhak-perlman-what-did-he-contribute-468875 but that refers back here (circular reference) and clearly not a primary source about his study with Galamian. This looks like a good substitute: "Galamian - A Great Violin Teacher", New York Times, 1981-04-26, Arts section. http://www.nytimes.com/1981/04/26/arts/galamian-a-great-violin-teacher.html accessed 2014-09-30.
 * current link 11 to SAND, B.L., 2000. The Perlman Music Program: Toby's Project Grows and Grows. Cincinnati, OH: Record Guide Productions, 05, International Index to Music Periodicals Full Text. Access-restricted article accessed 2014-09-30.
 * current link 12 Zaustinsky, Julia. "Perlmans' Proteges: The Perlman Music Program." Strings 15, no. 1 (07, 2000): 48-53. Access-restricted article accessed 2014-09-30.
 * current link 13 Welp, Steven. "Perlman Student Stirling Trent." Strings 15, no. 1 (07, 2000): 52. Access-restricted article accessed 2014-09-30.

Main Picture
Main picture is 30 years old...perhaps a more recent one would be better? --(Moshe) מֹשֶׁה‎ 05:53, 21 November 2014 (UTC)

Is it better for biographies to have a "recent" picture, or a good picture of the person during their prime? If the former, then presumably every biography would eventually have a photo of the person in their old age. Kzirkel (talk) 17:55, 16 January 2015 (UTC)

Very weak introduction
Having one sentence as the introduction leaves the article incomplete. I would add some more general information about him in the intro. I tried to update it but was refused. He deserves better. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 134.134.137.73 (talk) 20:10, 14 September 2015 (UTC)

Wiki Education assignment: Introduction to Public Musicology
— Assignment last updated by Anacasb (talk) 14:27, 31 October 2022 (UTC)