# Schindler's list



## pcnog11

Perlman's playing on this piece was breathtaking. However, recently, Nicola Benedetti did the same piece and can be compared to Perlman in a lot of aspects. Have anyone heard both and can you tell the difference?

I have both versions and it is very difficult to tell the difference. Now I have listened to both so many times that I can identify which is which. I think Benedetti played it on a Stradivaris and Perlman played it on a Guarneri. The Guarneri reveal a slightly darker tone than the Strad. Also, it seems that Benedetti displayed a feminine side of the music.

Some review commented on the sitting position of Perlman playing makes a difference between the two. I do not play violin, does it make a difference?


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## Bellinilover

I'm in a library right now so I can't listen to the Nicola Benedetti rendition, unfortunately. I do have the soundtrack with Itzhak Perlman, and was in fact just listening to it this morning. Perlman's sound is incredibly rich and poignant; personally, I can't imagine the score being played better. That's not to say, however, that no one else can play it well; in fact, I'm currently trying to persuade my violinist brother to take up the SCHINDLER'S LIST theme and/or the "Jewish Town" piece (track #2 on the soundtrack CD). 

If you're interested, pcnog11, I just wrote a piece on the Talkclassical blog about the "I could have got more" scene from the movie; in this essay I talk a little about the music.


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## pcnog11

Hi Bellinilover, 

I like you analysis on the blog. I think Perlman was the golden standard and was the best to be select to play the theme. However, now Benedetti is challenging the standard. Benedetti was only 6 years old when Perlman recorded it. I am wondering if the violin makes a difference to the music. I have given my audiophile friends a challenge to tell the difference, many of them cannot. Please let me know what do you think of Benedetti's rendition.

pcnog11


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## Bellinilover

pcnog11 said:


> Hi Bellinilover,
> 
> I like you analysis on the blog. I think Perlman was the golden standard and was the best to be select to play the theme. However, now Benedetti is challenging the standard. Benedetti was only 6 years old when Perlman recorded it. I am wondering if the violin makes a difference to the music. I have given my audiophile friends a challenge to tell the difference, many of them cannot. Please let me know what do you think of Benedetti's rendition.
> 
> pcnog11


First, thanks very much for reading my blog post!

Second, I just now listened to the Nicola Benedetti performance...Stunning! She is definitely the "new Perlman" with regard to the _Schindler's List_ theme.

I have a question for you: do you know whether it is a violin or a viola that plays the solo part in "I Could Have Done More" from the _Schindler's List_ soundtrack?:


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## pcnog11

I think it is the violin if this is played by Perlman. Perlman is very versatile in his performance and style and he could make the violin sound like a viola. 

I am glad that you like Benedetti. Can you tell the difference between her violin and Perlman's violin?


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## Bellinilover

pcnog11 said:


> I think it is the violin if this is played by Perlman. Perlman is very versatile in his performance and style and he could make the violin sound like a viola.
> 
> I am glad that you like Benedetti. Can you tell the difference between her violin and Perlman's violin?


I probably wouldn't have been able to if I hadn't known beforehand that it wasn't Perlman playing; however, I did think Benedetti's tone sounded more "nuanced," if that makes any sense.


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## pcnog11

You have a set of good ear. I would describe her way of playing has a set of different emotions than Perlman. Both are great interpretations. In fact, Perlman's root is Jewish and could give him a slight edge over Benedetti to the tone colors and the phrasing of the passages. Well, I am trying to split hair here, but that is the whole point of enjoying music, isn't it?


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