8.111359 bk Heifetz Concertos_EU 16-08-2010 13:48 Pagina 4

GREAT VIOLINISTS • JASCHA HEIFETZ

Peter Il’yich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893): Concerto in D major, Op. 35 30:32 TCHAIKOVSKY • CONUS 1 Allegro moderato 15:53 2 Canzonetta: Andante 6:04 KORNGOLD 3 Finale: Allegro vivacissimo 8:35 Philharmonia Orchestra • Walter Susskind Recorded in EMI Abbey Road Studio No. 1, London, 19-20 July 1950 Violin Concertos Matrix nos.: 2EA 14804-1R, 14805-1, 14806-1, 14807-3, 14808-1, 14809-1, 14810-4, and 14811-1 First issued on RCA Victor LM-1111 HA HEIF SC ET JA Z Julius CONUS (1869-1942): in E minor 18:21 4 Allegro molto 7:46 5 Adagio 7:03 6 Cadenza – Allegro subito 3:32 RCA Victor Symphony Orchestra • Recorded in United Artists Studios, Hollywood, 3 December 1952 Matrix nos.: E2-RC-1196 through 1199 • First issued on RCA Victor LM-7017

7 (1844-1908): Zigeunerweisen, Op. 20, No. 1 8:22 RCA Victor Symphony Orchestra • Recorded in Sound Stage 9, Republic Pictures Studios, Hollywood, 16 June 1951 Matrix nos.: E1-RC-2418-1 and 2419-1 • First issued on RCA Victor LM-163

1 (1897-1957): Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 35 21:57 95 gs 0 - rdin 8 Moderato nobile 8:03 1953 Reco 9 Romanze: Andante 7:16 0 Finale: Allegro assai vivace 6:38 Philharmonic Orchestra • Alfred Wallenstein Jascha Heifetz Recorded in Sound Stage 9, Republic Pictures Studios, Hollywood, 10 January 1953 Philharmonia Orchestra • RCA Victor Symphony Orchestra Matrix nos.: E3-RC-2131 through 2134 • First issued on RCA Victor LM-1782 Walter Susskind • Izler Solomon • Alfred Wallenstein Producer and Audio Restoration Engineer: Mark Obert-Thorn

Special thanks to Nathan Brown and Charles Niss for providing source material

8.111359 4 8.111359 bk Heifetz Concertos_EU 16-08-2010 13:48 Pagina 2

Jascha Heifetz (1901-1987) mainly to the West Coast of America; chamber music day schedule of sessions in 1950. (On subsequent days also loomed larger in his life, through the Heifetz- Heifetz, the Philharmonia and the German-Czech Tchaikovsky ¥ Conus ¥ Korngold ¥ Sarasate Piatigorsky Concerts. Having given his last concert in conductor Walter Susskind set down Beethoven’s two This programme features Jascha Heifetz in the kind of passing him on to Ilya Malkin, a pupil of Auer. At six 1972, he grew increasingly reclusive; and he died in Los Romances and a four-movement version of Lalo’s repertoire that fitted him like a glove: virtuoso romantic Jascha made his début and a year later he played the Angeles on 10th December 1987. Heifetz did some Symphonie espagnole; but these recordings were not music. For the violin fancier, the chief interest attaches Mendelssohn Concerto in Kovno. To enable him to stay teaching but his influence was mainly disseminated liked and all three works were remade a year later in to the two rarely performed works receiving their only with his family when he entered Auer’s class at the St through his playing and his many recordings. Although America, with William Steinberg conducting.) Heifetz recordings, the Conus and Korngold Concertos. Petersburg Conservatory in 1910, his father was he had a 1731 Stradivarius, his favourite fiddle was the Although HMV were using tape by this time, they were Julius Conus or Yuly Konyus (1869–1942) was one of enrolled too. Heifetz became Auer’s favourite and made 1742 ‘David’ Guarnerius del Gesù. still working in 78rpm takes of not more than five several musical siblings born in Moscow to parents of his St Petersburg début on 30th April the following At his best, Heifetz played the concerto and sonata minutes. Despite this handicap, the Tchaikovsky found French origin. His career as a violinist and composer year. On 24th May 1912, still using a three-quarter- repertoire with a strong command of structure, coupled Heifetz in an intense mood, especially in the was spent partly in Paris and partly in his native city, sized instrument, he played the Mendelssohn Concerto with minute attention to detail. He held the violin high Canzonetta; and he was aided and abetted by the where he died during the privations of the ‘Great (with piano), Wieniawski’s Souvenir de Moscou and and flat, pioneering a particularly high right elbow magnificent Philharmonia wind section. The other Patriotic War’ – one story has it that he actually starved short pieces at the Berlin Hochschule; and on 28th which helped him to exert maximum bow pressure (he works here were recorded in Hollywood with players to death. His E minor Concerto, of which he himself October 1912 he replaced the indisposed favoured German rather than French bows). To speak of from the Los Angeles Philharmonic, although for gave the première in Moscow in 1898, quickly became in a subscription concert. Playing him in purely gymnastic terms would be to overlook the contractual reasons the pseudonym ‘RCA Victor a favourite teaching piece of and other the Tchaikovsky Concerto, he impressed the evening’s sensuous beauty of his tone – yet he was the ultimate Symphony Orchestra’ was sometimes used. Heifetz had Russian pedagogues for advanced students. In one conductor , who invited him to Leipzig violinistic athlete, standing with feet perfectly balanced programmed the Conus Concerto in recital since at least movement and comparatively brief, it fits awkwardly for the Bruch G minor Concerto (performed on 12th and hands in precise co-ordination. Off the concert 1920, although the present writer has found only into modern concert programmes. As a result, it has February 1914). In Vienna he played the Mendelssohn platform, he was a good tennis player, oarsman and performances with piano and this studio session may been championed and recorded by only a few of the under Vassily Safonov and he developed steadily swimmer. With his mordant, often caustic wit, he could have been the only occasion on which he played it with great violinists – apart from Heifetz, they include Boris through the early years of the Great War. In those days be highly entertaining (his parodies of bad violin an orchestra. He finds his most melting tone for the Goldstein, and Sergei Stadler. Erich he often played Bach’s with his Auer playing were published on an LP under the pseudonym memorable Adagio, which returns briefly after the Wolfgang Korngold (1897–1957), a Viennese prodigy classmate Toscha Seidel, whom he later eclipsed. He ‘Joseph Hague’); but he could behave like the epitome cadenza. Sarasate’s Zigeunerweisen was a Heifetz as pianist and composer, wrote one of the twentieth missed the chaos of 1917 but caused his own October of a ‘control freak’ – and he was extremely litigious. He warhorse and this, the final one of three recordings, was century’s immortal melodies in his 1920 opera Die tote Revolution that year with his historic New York début excelled in Brahms, Bruch, Glazunov, Prokofiev, made at the same sessions as the Beethoven and Lalo Stadt, the apogee of his career, but ended up grinding at . In 1920 he made his London bow with Sibelius, Spohr, Vieuxtemps and Wieniawski but in the remakes. Heifetz had some knowledge of gypsy out scores for Hollywood movies. His Violin Concerto, two Queen’s Hall concerts which were so successful Classics was frequently criticised for taking fast tempi, violinism – he had heard Grigoras Dinicu and had based on some of his film themes, should have been that he returned the same year – playing the Elgar especially in later years; and he seemed to introduce an transcribed the Romanian fiddler’s Hora staccato – and finished early in World War II for the Polish violinist Concerto with the composer present. He also visited element of competition into all his music-making. Of he always made light work of Sarasate’s piece: note his Bronis1aw Huberman; but Korngold dilly-dallied until Paris and Berlin; and in 1921 he toured Australia. In his many commissions, the Walton Concerto was the beautiful harmonics, explosive pizzicati and terrific prompted by Heifetz – who dangled a generous 1925 he took U.S. citizenship, in 1926 he played in most successful, its central movement a showcase for spiccato. As someone who spent a good deal of time in commission fee – to finish the piece. By the time of its Palestine and in 1928 he married the film star Florence his ability to polish a phrase with a miniaturist’s art. His Hollywood, Heifetz knew Korngold well and played première in St Louis on 15th February 1947, with Vidor (that and a second union ended in divorce). repertoire reached well into the twentieth century but he movements from his Much Ado About Nothing suite in Heifetz as soloist and Vladimir Golschmann as During World War II he gave many concerts for the did not play the Prokofiev First, Berg or Bartók recital. The concerto performance is notable for its conductor, Huberman had only months to live and he U.S. forces. In 1947 he reintroduced himself to London Concertos – or the Schoenberg, although it was written improvisatory flair, especially in the Andante and parts never performed the work. Although the concerto is not with the Beethoven and Tchaikovsky Concertos at the with him in mind. He was a fair pianist and an expert of the finale, where Heifetz’s staccato is exemplary. often heard in concert – it has never recovered from the Royal Albert Hall, before the Queen and an audience of arranger who also composed popular songs. Throughout the work, his aristocratic playing rescues American critic Irving Kolodin’s acid comment that it more than 6,000. In 1949 he again offered Londoners Heifetz made three ‘official’ recordings of the the music from any accusation of trashy pseudo- was ‘more corn than gold’ – it has regularly been the Elgar. When he played the sonata by Richard Tchaikovsky Concerto and this, the middle one, is a romanticism. recorded. Strauss in in 1953, riot police had to be called and favourite of many fans. It was made by an HMV team at Heifetz was born in , , on 2nd Heifetz was attacked by a fanatic with an iron bar. In Abbey Road in London, on the first two days of a five- Tully Potter February 1900. His father Rubin, a competent fiddler, 1959 he performed for the United Nations General started him on the violin when he was three before Assembly but in the 1960s he began to confine himself 8.111359 23 8.111359 8.111359 bk Heifetz Concertos_EU 16-08-2010 13:48 Pagina 2

Jascha Heifetz (1901-1987) mainly to the West Coast of America; chamber music day schedule of sessions in 1950. (On subsequent days also loomed larger in his life, through the Heifetz- Heifetz, the Philharmonia and the German-Czech Tchaikovsky ¥ Conus ¥ Korngold ¥ Sarasate Piatigorsky Concerts. Having given his last concert in conductor Walter Susskind set down Beethoven’s two This programme features Jascha Heifetz in the kind of passing him on to Ilya Malkin, a pupil of Auer. At six 1972, he grew increasingly reclusive; and he died in Los Romances and a four-movement version of Lalo’s repertoire that fitted him like a glove: virtuoso romantic Jascha made his début and a year later he played the Angeles on 10th December 1987. Heifetz did some Symphonie espagnole; but these recordings were not music. For the violin fancier, the chief interest attaches Mendelssohn Concerto in Kovno. To enable him to stay teaching but his influence was mainly disseminated liked and all three works were remade a year later in to the two rarely performed works receiving their only with his family when he entered Auer’s class at the St through his playing and his many recordings. Although America, with William Steinberg conducting.) Heifetz recordings, the Conus and Korngold Concertos. Petersburg Conservatory in 1910, his father was he had a 1731 Stradivarius, his favourite fiddle was the Although HMV were using tape by this time, they were Julius Conus or Yuly Konyus (1869–1942) was one of enrolled too. Heifetz became Auer’s favourite and made 1742 ‘David’ Guarnerius del Gesù. still working in 78rpm takes of not more than five several musical siblings born in Moscow to parents of his St Petersburg début on 30th April the following At his best, Heifetz played the concerto and sonata minutes. Despite this handicap, the Tchaikovsky found French origin. His career as a violinist and composer year. On 24th May 1912, still using a three-quarter- repertoire with a strong command of structure, coupled Heifetz in an intense mood, especially in the was spent partly in Paris and partly in his native city, sized instrument, he played the Mendelssohn Concerto with minute attention to detail. He held the violin high Canzonetta; and he was aided and abetted by the where he died during the privations of the ‘Great (with piano), Wieniawski’s Souvenir de Moscou and and flat, pioneering a particularly high right elbow magnificent Philharmonia wind section. The other Patriotic War’ – one story has it that he actually starved short pieces at the Berlin Hochschule; and on 28th which helped him to exert maximum bow pressure (he works here were recorded in Hollywood with players to death. His E minor Concerto, of which he himself October 1912 he replaced the indisposed Pablo Casals favoured German rather than French bows). To speak of from the Los Angeles Philharmonic, although for gave the première in Moscow in 1898, quickly became in a Berlin Philharmonic subscription concert. Playing him in purely gymnastic terms would be to overlook the contractual reasons the pseudonym ‘RCA Victor a favourite teaching piece of Leopold Auer and other the Tchaikovsky Concerto, he impressed the evening’s sensuous beauty of his tone – yet he was the ultimate Symphony Orchestra’ was sometimes used. Heifetz had Russian pedagogues for advanced students. In one conductor Arthur Nikisch, who invited him to Leipzig violinistic athlete, standing with feet perfectly balanced programmed the Conus Concerto in recital since at least movement and comparatively brief, it fits awkwardly for the Bruch G minor Concerto (performed on 12th and hands in precise co-ordination. Off the concert 1920, although the present writer has found only into modern concert programmes. As a result, it has February 1914). In Vienna he played the Mendelssohn platform, he was a good tennis player, oarsman and performances with piano and this studio session may been championed and recorded by only a few of the under Vassily Safonov and he developed steadily swimmer. With his mordant, often caustic wit, he could have been the only occasion on which he played it with great violinists – apart from Heifetz, they include Boris through the early years of the Great War. In those days be highly entertaining (his parodies of bad violin an orchestra. He finds his most melting tone for the Goldstein, Itzhak Perlman and Sergei Stadler. Erich he often played Bach’s Double Concerto with his Auer playing were published on an LP under the pseudonym memorable Adagio, which returns briefly after the Wolfgang Korngold (1897–1957), a Viennese prodigy classmate Toscha Seidel, whom he later eclipsed. He ‘Joseph Hague’); but he could behave like the epitome cadenza. Sarasate’s Zigeunerweisen was a Heifetz as pianist and composer, wrote one of the twentieth missed the chaos of 1917 but caused his own October of a ‘control freak’ – and he was extremely litigious. He warhorse and this, the final one of three recordings, was century’s immortal melodies in his 1920 opera Die tote Revolution that year with his historic New York début excelled in Brahms, Bruch, Glazunov, Prokofiev, made at the same sessions as the Beethoven and Lalo Stadt, the apogee of his career, but ended up grinding at Carnegie Hall. In 1920 he made his London bow with Sibelius, Spohr, Vieuxtemps and Wieniawski but in the remakes. Heifetz had some knowledge of gypsy out scores for Hollywood movies. His Violin Concerto, two Queen’s Hall concerts which were so successful Classics was frequently criticised for taking fast tempi, violinism – he had heard Grigoras Dinicu and had based on some of his film themes, should have been that he returned the same year – playing the Elgar especially in later years; and he seemed to introduce an transcribed the Romanian fiddler’s Hora staccato – and finished early in World War II for the Polish violinist Concerto with the composer present. He also visited element of competition into all his music-making. Of he always made light work of Sarasate’s piece: note his Bronis1aw Huberman; but Korngold dilly-dallied until Paris and Berlin; and in 1921 he toured Australia. In his many commissions, the Walton Concerto was the beautiful harmonics, explosive pizzicati and terrific prompted by Heifetz – who dangled a generous 1925 he took U.S. citizenship, in 1926 he played in most successful, its central movement a showcase for spiccato. As someone who spent a good deal of time in commission fee – to finish the piece. By the time of its Palestine and in 1928 he married the film star Florence his ability to polish a phrase with a miniaturist’s art. His Hollywood, Heifetz knew Korngold well and played première in St Louis on 15th February 1947, with Vidor (that and a second union ended in divorce). repertoire reached well into the twentieth century but he movements from his Much Ado About Nothing suite in Heifetz as soloist and Vladimir Golschmann as During World War II he gave many concerts for the did not play the Prokofiev First, Berg or Bartók recital. The concerto performance is notable for its conductor, Huberman had only months to live and he U.S. forces. In 1947 he reintroduced himself to London Concertos – or the Schoenberg, although it was written improvisatory flair, especially in the Andante and parts never performed the work. Although the concerto is not with the Beethoven and Tchaikovsky Concertos at the with him in mind. He was a fair pianist and an expert of the finale, where Heifetz’s staccato is exemplary. often heard in concert – it has never recovered from the Royal Albert Hall, before the Queen and an audience of arranger who also composed popular songs. Throughout the work, his aristocratic playing rescues American critic Irving Kolodin’s acid comment that it more than 6,000. In 1949 he again offered Londoners Heifetz made three ‘official’ recordings of the the music from any accusation of trashy pseudo- was ‘more corn than gold’ – it has regularly been the Elgar. When he played the sonata by Richard Tchaikovsky Concerto and this, the middle one, is a romanticism. recorded. Strauss in Israel in 1953, riot police had to be called and favourite of many fans. It was made by an HMV team at Heifetz was born in Vilnius, Lithuania, on 2nd Heifetz was attacked by a fanatic with an iron bar. In Abbey Road in London, on the first two days of a five- Tully Potter February 1900. His father Rubin, a competent fiddler, 1959 he performed for the United Nations General started him on the violin when he was three before Assembly but in the 1960s he began to confine himself 8.111359 23 8.111359 8.111359 bk Heifetz Concertos_EU 16-08-2010 13:48 Pagina 4

GREAT VIOLINISTS • JASCHA HEIFETZ

Peter Il’yich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893): Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 35 30:32 TCHAIKOVSKY • CONUS 1 Allegro moderato 15:53 2 Canzonetta: Andante 6:04 KORNGOLD 3 Finale: Allegro vivacissimo 8:35 Philharmonia Orchestra • Walter Susskind Recorded in EMI Abbey Road Studio No. 1, London, 19-20 July 1950 Violin Concertos Matrix nos.: 2EA 14804-1R, 14805-1, 14806-1, 14807-3, 14808-1, 14809-1, 14810-4, and 14811-1 First issued on RCA Victor LM-1111 HA HEIF SC ET JA Z Julius CONUS (1869-1942): Violin Concerto in E minor 18:21 4 Allegro molto 7:46 5 Adagio 7:03 6 Cadenza – Allegro subito 3:32 RCA Victor Symphony Orchestra • Izler Solomon Recorded in United Artists Studios, Hollywood, 3 December 1952 Matrix nos.: E2-RC-1196 through 1199 • First issued on RCA Victor LM-7017

7 Pablo de SARASATE (1844-1908): Zigeunerweisen, Op. 20, No. 1 8:22 RCA Victor Symphony Orchestra • William Steinberg Recorded in Sound Stage 9, Republic Pictures Studios, Hollywood, 16 June 1951 Matrix nos.: E1-RC-2418-1 and 2419-1 • First issued on RCA Victor LM-163

1 Erich Wolfgang KORNGOLD (1897-1957): Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 35 21:57 95 gs 0 - rdin 8 Moderato nobile 8:03 1953 Reco 9 Romanze: Andante 7:16 0 Finale: Allegro assai vivace 6:38 Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra • Alfred Wallenstein Jascha Heifetz Recorded in Sound Stage 9, Republic Pictures Studios, Hollywood, 10 January 1953 Philharmonia Orchestra • RCA Victor Symphony Orchestra Matrix nos.: E3-RC-2131 through 2134 • First issued on RCA Victor LM-1782 Los Angeles Philharmonic Walter Susskind • Izler Solomon • Alfred Wallenstein Producer and Audio Restoration Engineer: Mark Obert-Thorn

Special thanks to Nathan Brown and Charles Niss for providing source material

8.111359 4 8.111359 rr Heifetz Concertos_EU 16-08-2010 13:45 Pagina 2

G R E A T

V I O L I N I S T S NAXOS Historical TCHAIKOVSKY • CONUS • KORNGOLD • HEIFETZ 8.111359 Time 79:12 Playing Zigeunerweisen , of which this 1950 This classic recording features Jascha features recording This classic that of repertoire in the kind Heifetz a glove:like fitted him virtuoso Romantic music, including his only violin of the ravishing recordings and Erich Conus concertos Julius by Korngold. ever-popular Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto of of many is the favourite recording his fans, an ecstatic and receives effortlessseemingly interpretation. also aristocratic playing Heifetz’s spirit of imbues the hyper-romantic ubiquitous Sarasate’s with both dignity and familiarity with the true gypsy style. TCHAIKOVSKY • CONUS TCHAIKOVSKY SARASATE • KORNGOLD SARASATE Jascha Heifetz (1901-1987) Heifetz Jascha ADD 8.111359 TCHAIKOVSKY:Violin Concerto in D major, Op.TCHAIKOVSKY:Violin 35 moderatoAllegro Canzonetta:AndanteFinale:Allegro vivacissimo Susskind Walter • Philharmonia Orchestra No. Road Studio Abbey in EMI Recorded 1, London, 1950 19-20 July 30:32 CONUS:Violin Concertominor in E moltoAllegro Adagio subitoAllegro Cadenza – • Izler Solomon Orchestra Victor Symphony RCA Artists Studios, in United Recorded Hollywood, 1952 3 December SARASATE: Zigeunerweisen, Op. 20, No. 1William Steinberg • Orchestra Victor Symphony RCA in Sound Stage 9,Recorded Studios, Republic Pictures Hollywood, 1951 16 June 15:53 8:35 18:21 6:04 Concerto in D major,KORNGOLD:Violin Op. 35Moderato nobileRomanze:AndanteFinale:Allegro assai vivaceWallenstein Alfred • Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra Los 8:22 in Sound Stage 9,Recorded Studios, Republic Pictures Hollywood, 3:32 10 January 1953 21:57 7:46 7:03 6:38 8:03 7:16 www.naxos.com Reissue Producer and Audio Restoration Engineer: and Reissue Producer Mark Obert-Thorn material source providing and Charles Niss for Special thanks to Nathan Brown image:Cover Jascha Heifetz, c. 1949 (Private Collection) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0

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NAXOS Historical TCHAIKOVSKY • CONUS • KORNGOLD • HEIFETZ 8.111359 8.111359 rr Heifetz Concertos_EU 16-08-2010 13:45 Pagina 1 13:45 Pagina 16-08-2010 rr Heifetz Concertos_EU 8.111359