'THE
VIOLINIST OF THE CENTURY' (Part 2)
- Jascha Heifetz (1901-1987)
© 2003 AdventuresInMusic.biz
All Rights Reserved
Musical Values
Jascha Heifetz had quite a number of musical trademarks and signature techniques. He was perhaps best known for his silken tone and fast tempos.
Tone - Leopold Auer's students were famous for their beautiful singing tone, described variously as 'sensuous', 'sweet', 'round' and 'mellow' - with no scraping or scratching. One theory holds that Auer instructed his students to hold the index finger wristward on the stick one centimeter higher than normal. Regardless of how he produced it, Auer became famous for pulling a gorgeous tone out of his students. In this, he had something in common with Theodor Leschetizky, the great piano teacher who was also known for producing a singing tone in his piano students.
Heifetz later could turn the tone on and off as he desired and went on to incorporate a range of other tones and sonorities into his playing by, among other things, altering the bow pressure on the strings.
Tempo - Heifetz was known for his fast tempos. As a child, Heifetz imitated the exercises his father showed him but, after two or three attempts, played them twice as fast.
Heifetz popularized the Sibelius violin concerto. When recording the piece, Heifetz clocked in at 26:24 while Itzhak Perlman's rendition was 29:20 and Joshua Bell's 32:05. Heifetz recorded the Beethoven violin concerto at 39:00, compared to 43:55 for the Baltimore Symphony under David Zinman and 44:39 for Perlman. The Brahms concerto - 34:31 for Heifetz and 39:25 for Perlman.
Heifetz' fast tempos are a problem for some listeners, especially those who like to linger over slow second movements. The proclivity also created tension in recording sessions with pianist Artur Rubinstein, also on the RCA label. Rubinstein was known for his slow tempos and heavy pedaling. Ultimately, Heifetz and Rubenstein parted ways.
Expression - Where does Heifetz strike the balance between precision and expression, between the intellectual and emotional sides of music? Some listeners found him profound, noble and aristocratic, while others considered him cold, emotionless, and superficial.
The recurring criticism that he played without emotion prompted Heifetz to hire a publicist in 1935, but he never shook the image. In 1940, music critic Virgil Thomson wrote a notorious review entitled "Silk Underwear Music" which accused Heifetz of "empty elegance" and said his "machine-tooled" performances had "no musical or emotional significance." This, despite acknowledging Heifetz' "silken tone", "famous double stops", and "true pitch". No, Heifetz' conception of music was "embarrassingly refined", hence the reference to silk underwear. Ouch.
One biographer contends that Heifetz was misunderstood, that he was heeding his father's advice: "Let the violin alone convey the emotions that the artist feels. It is rather poor showmanship to let the face express anything while playing." Those who were left cold by Heifetz' performances were reacting to his high bow position and austere stage presence, not to the music itself, the biographer argues.
Heifetz was also said to be reacting to the excesses of the preceding Romantic era. A case in point is the Tchaikovsky violin concerto. Audiences were accustomed to hearing violinists exaggerate the Russian folk tune in the third movement in order to evoke the image of a lumbering, drunken peasant. Said Heifetz: "The Concerto is already so overloaded with sentimentalism as it is, that all you have to do is play the notes - it will come out anyway."
Other Techniques - Heifetz also had a perfect ear and accurate pitch, which he used to great advantage. Apparently, before Heifetz, professional violinists played off-pitch quite frequently, a performance standard that Heifetz made unacceptable. Heifetz could land on the correct note even two or three strings apart, sometimes employing finger slides upward to reach the right pitch.
His treasure trove of techniques also included 'the strongest bowing arm in the business', the ability to vary his vibratos, a high bow position which allowed him to be heard over an entire orchestra playing at fortissimo, and razor-sharp staccatos produced with an inflexible wrist and limited upper arm movement.
Personal Impression - It's the tone that makes Heifetz' playing so appealing. Silken, never scratchy is a good description. Also, this writer gets the same feeling listening to Heifetz play as when Ella Fitzgerald sings - they both have absolute control, the ability to drop every note exactly where they want them. Finally, for those who think Heifetz is cold and emotionless, try the Concerto No. 2 (on BMG Classics 7872-2-RG) by Castelnuovo-Tedesco (whose music Heifetz championed) which to this writer does not seem to lack for anything.
(to be continued)
Next Installments:
Part 1 - The Making of a Superstar
Part 3 - Superstar Behaves Badly
- Jascha Heifetz (1901-1987)
© 2003 AdventuresInMusic.biz
All Rights Reserved
Musical Values
Jascha Heifetz had quite a number of musical trademarks and signature techniques. He was perhaps best known for his silken tone and fast tempos.
Tone - Leopold Auer's students were famous for their beautiful singing tone, described variously as 'sensuous', 'sweet', 'round' and 'mellow' - with no scraping or scratching. One theory holds that Auer instructed his students to hold the index finger wristward on the stick one centimeter higher than normal. Regardless of how he produced it, Auer became famous for pulling a gorgeous tone out of his students. In this, he had something in common with Theodor Leschetizky, the great piano teacher who was also known for producing a singing tone in his piano students.
Heifetz later could turn the tone on and off as he desired and went on to incorporate a range of other tones and sonorities into his playing by, among other things, altering the bow pressure on the strings.
Tempo - Heifetz was known for his fast tempos. As a child, Heifetz imitated the exercises his father showed him but, after two or three attempts, played them twice as fast.
Heifetz popularized the Sibelius violin concerto. When recording the piece, Heifetz clocked in at 26:24 while Itzhak Perlman's rendition was 29:20 and Joshua Bell's 32:05. Heifetz recorded the Beethoven violin concerto at 39:00, compared to 43:55 for the Baltimore Symphony under David Zinman and 44:39 for Perlman. The Brahms concerto - 34:31 for Heifetz and 39:25 for Perlman.
Heifetz' fast tempos are a problem for some listeners, especially those who like to linger over slow second movements. The proclivity also created tension in recording sessions with pianist Artur Rubinstein, also on the RCA label. Rubinstein was known for his slow tempos and heavy pedaling. Ultimately, Heifetz and Rubenstein parted ways.
Expression - Where does Heifetz strike the balance between precision and expression, between the intellectual and emotional sides of music? Some listeners found him profound, noble and aristocratic, while others considered him cold, emotionless, and superficial.
The recurring criticism that he played without emotion prompted Heifetz to hire a publicist in 1935, but he never shook the image. In 1940, music critic Virgil Thomson wrote a notorious review entitled "Silk Underwear Music" which accused Heifetz of "empty elegance" and said his "machine-tooled" performances had "no musical or emotional significance." This, despite acknowledging Heifetz' "silken tone", "famous double stops", and "true pitch". No, Heifetz' conception of music was "embarrassingly refined", hence the reference to silk underwear. Ouch.
One biographer contends that Heifetz was misunderstood, that he was heeding his father's advice: "Let the violin alone convey the emotions that the artist feels. It is rather poor showmanship to let the face express anything while playing." Those who were left cold by Heifetz' performances were reacting to his high bow position and austere stage presence, not to the music itself, the biographer argues.
Heifetz was also said to be reacting to the excesses of the preceding Romantic era. A case in point is the Tchaikovsky violin concerto. Audiences were accustomed to hearing violinists exaggerate the Russian folk tune in the third movement in order to evoke the image of a lumbering, drunken peasant. Said Heifetz: "The Concerto is already so overloaded with sentimentalism as it is, that all you have to do is play the notes - it will come out anyway."
Other Techniques - Heifetz also had a perfect ear and accurate pitch, which he used to great advantage. Apparently, before Heifetz, professional violinists played off-pitch quite frequently, a performance standard that Heifetz made unacceptable. Heifetz could land on the correct note even two or three strings apart, sometimes employing finger slides upward to reach the right pitch.
His treasure trove of techniques also included 'the strongest bowing arm in the business', the ability to vary his vibratos, a high bow position which allowed him to be heard over an entire orchestra playing at fortissimo, and razor-sharp staccatos produced with an inflexible wrist and limited upper arm movement.
Personal Impression - It's the tone that makes Heifetz' playing so appealing. Silken, never scratchy is a good description. Also, this writer gets the same feeling listening to Heifetz play as when Ella Fitzgerald sings - they both have absolute control, the ability to drop every note exactly where they want them. Finally, for those who think Heifetz is cold and emotionless, try the Concerto No. 2 (on BMG Classics 7872-2-RG) by Castelnuovo-Tedesco (whose music Heifetz championed) which to this writer does not seem to lack for anything.
(to be continued)
Next Installments:
Part 1 - The Making of a Superstar
Part 3 - Superstar Behaves Badly