A Major piece of the violin repertoire in the Romantic era (along with the Mendelssohn concerto), the work has owned a strong popularity. The soloist's part is a very virtuoso one, and was composed with and for Joseph Joachim. Its incredible difficulty even forced the composer to modify the score after it was created, to make it more playable.

In this historic concert, Itzhak Perlman shows the highest levels of dexterity, energy and sense of music. Accompanied by the Philharmonia Orchestra, he plays here with Lawrence Foster – a close friend of the violinist, ex-assistant of Zubin Mehta at the Los Angeles Philharmonic. And the complicity of the two men explodes during the final "Allegro Giocoso" (literally, "allegro playfully").

Discover other documentaries by director Christopher Nupen in our dedicated playlist!