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PASC050:
Violin Concerto No. 5 in A minor, Op. 37 - Vieuxtemps
MP3
price
Jascha
Heifetz, violin
London Symphony Orchestra
Conductor: Sir Malcolm Sargent
Recorded
in 1947, released as HMV DB.6547-8
Matrix numbers: 2EA.12513-6
Takes: 1, 2, 1, 2
Download ID: 223706
(Duration
16'22")
Play
sample movement:
What
is left to say about Heifetz? Surely...he is the greatest violinist
of the 20th century. The Vieuxtemps shows him at his stellar best...
- Bill Rosen
Belgian
composer Henri Vieuxtemps (1820-1881) was reknowned throughout
his lifetime as one of the greatest virtuouso violinists of all time.
He was acclaimed as a boy by Schumann, who compared him to Paganini (whom
he met in 1834 at his London debut).
He wrote
seven violin concertos, plus two for cello, various other works for violin
and orchestra, and a range of chamber music, though it is for those seven
violin concertos that he will be best remembered. Although they require
great virtousity of the soloist, they are not merely empty displays of
technical brilliance - there is greater depth and dimension to the works
which put them on a higher musical level than, for example, those of Paganini.
Of the
seven concertos, it is the fifth., written 1858-9, with its attractive
melodies and colourful virtousity and orchestration, which continues to
attract performers. Here we have one of the twentieth century's greatest
violinist putting his unique stamp on the work in a 1947 HMV recording
which has a particularly attractive sound quality for its day.
The piece
is on the short side, with movements virtually continuous, the cadenza
linking the first and second movements and the work ending with a very
short Allegro con fuoco. We have chosen to follow the original
HMV label markings and include the cadenza at the beginning of the second
movement, rather than at the end of the first - given the lack of pauses
the distinction is somewhat academic.
Thus the
almost unbelievable brilliance of Vieuxtemp's cadenza can be heard at
the beginning of our sample movement - there are moments here where Heifetz
appears to be playing at least two instruments simultaneously, using four
arms! This brilliant section appears at the start of the third side, and
was taken entirely from the first take...
REVIEW
OF Henri Vieuxtemps: Violin Concerto #5 (Heifetz, LSO, Sargent) (1947)
Vieuxtemps
was one of those nineteenth century musical figures that no
longer exist--the virtuoso instrumentalist composer. Like
Paganini and Wieniawski, he was a great violin vituoso who
also composed music, primarily for his own use. He made his
debut at six years old, playing a concerto with orchestra
(by Bode). He was so accomplished that Schumann compared him
to Paganini. He wrote seven violin concertos; the 4th and
5th are generally considered his finest.
The
5th concerto is, frankly, rather small beer which Heifetz
turns into champagne. It has a one-movement structure divided
into a long opening allegro, a cadenza, a brief adagio and
a tiny finale lasting one minute. It is not highly virtuistic
by Paganini standards, no does it rise to the quality of Wieniawsky.
Still, it is pleasant and quite a vehicle for Heifetz.
What
is left to say about Heifetz? Surely, in spite of the claims
of Kreisler, Szigeti and Milstein, he is the greatest violinist
of the 20th century. The Vieuxtemps shows him at his stellar
best. His first entrance displays that brilliant, rock solid,
tone, always pulsating with forward drive, yet never tense.
The second theme is sung so beautifully. There is effortless
virtuosity that does not call attention to itself and eloquence
in the slow movement.
One
thinks of Heifetz' many recordings; this one must rank high
in the canon.
The
restoration highlights Heifetz' magnificent tone, but allows
the orchestra plenty of presence.
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What
is left to say about Heifetz? Surely...he is the greatest violinist
of the 20th century. The Vieuxtemps shows him at his stellar best...
- Bill Rosen
