Heifetz: Plays Concertos

Editorial Reviews
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This volume is one in a series Naxos is producing to celebrate Heifetz's 100th birthday anniversary. It stands as a convincing demonstration of the violinist's greatness, all in congenial repertory, and it's also well programmed. The disc begins with the blazing performance of Glazounov's pretty, superficial concerto, then continues with the somewhat more substantial and highly entertaining Bruch, and concludes with the profound mastery of the Brahms. In the Brahms, Heifetz is joined by the supreme cellist Emanuel Feuermann, who would probably be remembered as vividly by music lovers as Heifetz if his career had lasted longer (Feuermann died at 40). Despite the mushy accompaniment by Ormandy and the Philadelphia, which obscures important details in the music, this is one of the greatest Brahms performances you'll ever hear.

The sound quality varies with the dates (1934-1947) and venues (London, Hollywood, Philadelphia), but it is always acceptable. In the case of the Brahms, which uses some previously unissued alternate takes, finding a superior source has resulted in more vivid sound than this recording has ever had before, even on the original 78s. Aside from a momentary flaw, a pitch rise at 11:21 of the first movement of the Brahms, it would be hard to imagine a better presentation of this material. --Leslie Gerber

Tracks:

Vn Con in D, Op.35: Allegro Moderato - Cadenza
Vn Con in D, Op.35: Canzonetta (Andante)
Vn Con in D, Op.35: Finale: Allegro Vivacissimo
Vn Con No.2 in d, Op.22: Allegro Moderato
Vn Con No.2 in d, Op.22: Romance (Andante Non Troppo)
Vn Con No.2 in d, Op.22: Allegro Con Fuoco - Cadenza - Allegro Moderato - Molto Moderato
Sarasate-Zigueunerweisen, Op.20

Customer Reviews:

Early Heifetz in a great sounding near hi fi recording.......2007-05-14

Growing up in the 1960s, I was more into the music now called "classic rock" than I was into Classical music. Yet even I was aware of Heifetz, Horowitz, and Rubinstein. Some of my very first classical lps featured these great artists. Most of my lps by these artists were recorded from the mid 50s onward. Yet these men had been concretizing long before the 1950s. Rubinstein was born in the mid 1880s. He actually was a star performer for over 70 years and gave a recital at Carnegie Hall in 1903 and in 1973! I was curious to hear their earlier recordings. Had they begun to loose it by the early 1960s? Were they like Kareem throwing up Sky Hooks for the Lakers as a 40 year old? (true, even when Kareem began to loose it he still was better than most).

I have this concerto on vinyl (Heifetz/Fritz Reiner Chicago Symphony) and have more than got my nickel's worth! I was surprised by how good this earlier Barbirolli/LSO recording sounds, not quite as good as the Reiner recording, but very acceptable. From listening to both the earlier and the later recordings, I do not think Heifetz had lost even half a step.

If you have the chance, listen to Isaac Stern's take on this concerto and the very gritty tone he extracts from his violin.

Heifetz with feeling!.......2001-04-28

These are extraordinary performances coupled with unbelievable sound quality. They were all recorded in the mid 1930's and while the recording has limitations, the performances more than make up for this. The Tchaikovsky in particular is played with far more sentiment and color than Heifetz later stereo recordings. None of the robotic Heifetz here, but rather a virtuoso at his peak technically and artistically. The less familiar Wieniawski is likewise wonderful and the Sarasate shows off Heifetz and his tremendous technique. I have one important recommendation to make in regard to this cd, however: You can buy these identical Tchaikovsky and Wieniawski recordings along with his famous Sibelius recording of the same vintage on the Naxos Historical label for a few dollars less and the sound quality is the same. The only advantage to this one is the Sarasate, but many will prefer the Sibelius.

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