At the last minute, Ryan decided to buy tickets for us to hear Itzhak Perlman in concert. Although I recognized his name, I didn’t know anything about him (don’t tell anyone!) except that he is a renowned violinist. My musical husband said that Perlman is one of those musicians we couldn’t not go to see. And he was right.

So we enjoyed two hours of very alive music, which filled a room of hundreds of people who sat captivated, even forgetting our bodies until the pause between movements when everyone would cough and shuffle their legs around for a moment. It was emotional and cerebral, but somehow made me feel physically well for the rest of the night.

The best part? Sneaking out my foot-long binoculars for a close-up on his expressions as he plays. His face reveals that he loves every note…

If you’re interested, you can do your own reading about Perlman’s musical career, but we were more interested in his personal life. Since Ryan’s at work today, I’m using this post to fill him in on the details I discovered about Mr. Perlman. (Thanks, Wikipedia.)

* He contracted polio when he was four years old and made a good recovery, able to walk with crutches for most of his life.

* He began playing the violin when he was four

* He lives in New York City with his wife, Toby, also a classically trained violinist.

* They have five children, Noah, Navah, Leora, Rami and Ariella.

* He’s also a basso singer and has performed with the big opera stars (who knew?!)

Here is Mr. Perlman as a 13 year old, playing a Mendelssohn Violin Concerto

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZs6D-w0Ex4&feature=related