Sunday 29 April 2012

Jascha Heifetz


The latest Naxos Heifetz re-issue (Mark Obert-Thorn transfers) sees Jascha Heifetz playing 28 short pieces, recorded between 1946 and 1956. Nothing to say; with Heifetz in this kind of music you just sit back and marvel at the range of sound possible from one small violin. It's also good that, 60 years on and thanks to the 21st century technology, we can listen to this music again without having to make allowances for the age of the sound.

They don't play like this anymore, alas. Can you imagine listening to 28 short pieces played by Maxim Vengerov?

3 comments:

Lee said...

No Harry - I can't listen to Vengerov in those 28 pieces.

The wonder of the collection must be the Sgambati. Even Kogan can't match Heifetz in that. I have sent you the Kogan and it does not match Jascha in this. Just listen to Jascha in his subtle glissando inflections on the repeated notes. Superb!

Harry Collier said...

Another wonder is Heifetz'z muted sound in "La fille aux cheveux de lin". Completely and utterly seductive.

Lee said...

I just bought it from UK. It should be on the way to me soon.