Ludwig van Beethoven; Felix Mendelssohn - Violin Concertos (Jascha Heifetz)

Information

Composer: Ludwig van Beethoven; Felix Mendelssohn

• Beethoven - Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 61
• Mendelssohn - Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64

Jascha Heifetz, violin

Boston Symphony Orchestra

Charles Munch, conductor

Date: 1955; 1959 / 1998

Label: RCA

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Review

There is certainly no chance of Beethoven’s extended first movement to his Violin Concerto sprawling under Heifetz’s fingers. His famed technique fully intact, and with Munch his willing Leporello, Heifetz unleashes a remarkably fiery view of this concerto. Perhaps that is reflected in his choice of cadenza (Auer/Heifetz), a cadenza that marries display, conceit, drama and virtuosic nonchalance in equal measure. True, perhaps he does not always let the music breathe where expected, but this may be because he’s saving the more interior emotions for the Larghetto. Again, here, the speed may be faster than expected (but it is after all Larghetto, not Largo) but this really is a meeting of minds. Heifetz soliloquises marvellously towards the end before embarking on a suave finale. There is an unfortunate drop in tension towards the end, and Heifetz is markedly too forward around the bassoon tune (around 3’30) but those caveats apart this is a magnificent reading. The cadenza in the finale is Joachim/Heifetz.

Mendelssohn takes less well to driven performances, yet it has to be admitted there is real excitement here that one rarely finds elsewhere. The ‘molto appassionato’ part of the first movement directive is taken at face value, to great effect. Heifetz reminds us of his knack of making the cadenza a highpoint musically as well as technically (not many musicians can claim this). The slow movement is a real andante, marked by a refusal to dawdle. Heifetz plays as if improvising (and trace of abrasive tone) and the entire seven minutes flows as if in one breath. The bridge passage between the last two movements (an ‘Allegretto non troppo’) is most effective, acting as a foil for the high-jinks of the Allegro molto vivace. And very lively it is, too, with all parties concerned exhibiting quicksilver responses. A vital rhythmic awareness permeates every bar.

One of the highlights of this series.

— Colin Clarke

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Ludwig van Beethoven (baptized 17 December 1770 – 26 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. A crucial figure in the transition between the Classical and Romantic eras in Western art music, he remains one of the most famous and influential of all composers. Beethoven is acknowledged as a giant of classical music, and his influence on subsequent generations was profound. His best-known compositions include 9 symphonies, 5 piano concertos, 1 violin concerto, 32 piano sonatas and 16 string quartets. Many of his most admired works come from the last decade of his life, when he was almost completely deaf.

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Felix Mendelssohn (3 February 1809 – 4 November 1847) was a German composer, pianist, and conductor of the early Romantic period. A musical prodigy, he began composing at an early age. His compositions include symphonies, concertos, piano music, chamber music and oratorios. As a conductor, Mendelssohn played a key role in reviving interest in J.S. Bach's music, notably with his performance of the St. Matthew Passion in 1829. The Leipzig Conservatory (now Hochschule "Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy") was founded by Mendelssohn in 1843. His sister Fanny Mendelssohn was also a talented composer.

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Jascha Heifetz (February 2 1901 – December 10, 1987) was a Russian-American violinist, widely regarded as one of the greatest violinists of all time. Born in Vilnius, he was was trained at the St. Petersburg Conservatory with Leopold Auer. In 1917 his family fled the Russian Revolution. He made his American debut in 1917 at Carnegie Hall, New York, and became a U.S. citizen in 1925. By the age of 18, Heifetz was the highest-paid violinist in the world. He had a long and successful concert career, touring widely in Europe, the Orient, the Middle East, and Australia. After 1962 he taught at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles.

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