Search - Sergey Prokofiev, Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky, Sergey Koussevitzky :: Jascha Heifetz, Vol. 2

Very Poor Recording Injures These Wonderful Performances

Oliver Steiner | Atlanta, GA USA | 02/14/2002

(2 out of 5 stars)

"The broadcast transcription disc from which the
Tschaikovsky performance was taken has unacceptably
varying pitch. I would rather miss hearing the
performance altogether than hear Heifetz's gorgeous
pitch desecrated by a meandering turntable like this. Almost all CDs of old 78 rpm records that I've heard have much better pitch stability than this broadcast transcription disc does. It's also distorted and
noisy, but that doesn't bother me as much.
The Prokofiev has much better reproduction of the
pitch, and less distortion, but the miking is poor.
Heifetz sounds overheard rather than heard, as if the
microphone were in somebody's pocket! The Boston Symphony,
which plays wonderfully here, covers JH in spots - I'm
sure this is the fault of the miking, not the
performers. If Heifetz were still living I should think that the company which issued this CD would be receiving a letter from his lawyers. Thank God that there ARE wonderful recordings of Heifetz playing both of these concerti - (recordings which Heifetz approved for release). - Buy one (or all) of those!"

The Greatest Performance of the Tshaikovsky

John Ruggeri | Philadelphia, PA USA | 11/13/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The pitch in the Tschaikovsky can be a problem but the intensity, beauty and

virtuosity of this performance is beyond compare. Heifetz was not only the

greatest violinist but a musician who is patrician - not cold. I have heard all the other greats play this- but JS is in a class by himself. I find most

of the criticisms of Heifetz lame- It seems that supreme technicians often

get slammed for not being profound e.g. Flagstad, Melchior, Horowitz, Sutherland- maybe for some - effortful production is more dramatic and profound than effortless production - NOT FOR ME!!!!!"