The Performance Style Of Jascha Heifetz

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Download or read book Jascha Heifetz written by and published by . This book was released on 1937 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Autographed photograph Lithuania/America Jascha Heifetz (February 2 [O.S. January 20] 1901 - December 10, 1987) was a violinist, born in Vilnius, Lithuania. He is widely regarded as arguably the greatest violinist of all time. On October 27, 1917, Heifetz played for the first time in the United States, at Carnegie Hall in New York, and became an immediate sensation. Fellow violinist Mischa Elman, in the audience, asked Do you think it's hot in here?, whereupon the pianist Leopold Godowsky, in the next seat, imperturbably replied, Not for pianists. The reviews by the New York critics were rapturous. Heifetz's technical command of his instrument - his physical ability to play the violin with stunning precision - is regarded by many critics as unequaled. That physical control enabled Heifetz to produce a distinctive tone quality, intense and shimmering, that came to be regarded as his trademark. Yet, from time to time his near-perfect technique and conservative stage demeanor caused some critics to accuse him of being overly mechanical, even cold. Virgil Thomson called Heifetz's style of playing silk underwear music, a term he did not intend as a compliment. Other critics argue that he infused his playing with feeling and reverence for the composers' intentions. His style of playing was highly influential in defining the way modern violinists approach the instrument. His use of rapid vibrato, emotionally charged portamento, fast tempos, and superb bow control coalesced to create a highly distinctive sound that make Heifetz's playing instantly recognizable to aficionados. The violinist Itzhak Perlman, who himself is noted for his rich warm tone and expressive use of portamento, describes Heifetz's tone as like a tornado because of its emotional intensity. Perlman also said that Heifetz preferred to be recorded relatively close to the microphone; as a result, one would perceive a somewhat different tone quality when listening to Heifetz during a concert hall performance as opposed to a recording. In creating his sound, Heifetz was very particular about his choice of strings. He used a silver wound Tricolore gut G string, plain gut unvarnished D and A strings, and a Goldbrokat steel E string medium including clear Hill brand rosin sparingly. Heifetz believed that playing on gut strings was important in rendering an individual sound.