Many consider Israeli-American Itzhak Perlman to be one of the greatest violinists of all time on record—certainly his discography is impressively wide-ranging, including Bach’s unaccompanied violin works, Classical and Romantic sonatas, all the major violin concertos and a number of film scores. He is perhaps most popularly known today for his haunting solos on the soundtrack to the 1993 Spielberg film Schindler’s List, where he reflects his own Jewish roots to great effect in John Williams’s Klezmer-inspired score.

Having initially taught himself on a toy fiddle and a tiny violin, Perlman began formal tuition with Rivka Goldgart at the Tel Aviv Academy. Poliomyelitis afflicted him at the age of four, resulting in a permanent disability; ...