Heifetz Collection - Gershwin & Encores
View record and artist detailsRecord and Artist Details
Composer or Director: George Gershwin, William Kroll, Sergey Rachmaninov, Sergey Prokofiev, Manuel (Maria) Ponce, Joseph Achron, Claude Debussy, Erich Wolfgang Korngold, Riccardo Drigo, Leopold Godowsky, Felix Mendelssohn, Francis Poulenc, Franz Schubert, Pablo (Martín Melatón) Sarasate (y Navascuéz), Aram Il'yich Khachaturian, Grigoras Dinicu, Henryk Wieniawski
Label: Gold Seal
Magazine Review Date: 6/1993
Media Format: CD or Download
Media Runtime: 76
Mastering:
Stereo
Mono
ADD
Catalogue Number: GD60928
Tracks:
| Composition | Artist Credit |
|---|---|
| (3) Preludes |
George Gershwin, Composer
Brooks Smith, Piano George Gershwin, Composer Jascha Heifetz, Violin |
| Porgy and Bess, Movement: Introduction...Jasbo Brown Blues |
George Gershwin, Composer
Brooks Smith, Piano George Gershwin, Composer Jascha Heifetz, Violin |
| Porgy and Bess, Movement: Summertime |
George Gershwin, Composer
Brooks Smith, Piano George Gershwin, Composer Jascha Heifetz, Violin |
| Porgy and Bess, Movement: A woman is a sometime thing |
George Gershwin, Composer
Brooks Smith, Piano George Gershwin, Composer Jascha Heifetz, Violin |
| Porgy and Bess, Movement: My man's gone now |
George Gershwin, Composer
Brooks Smith, Piano George Gershwin, Composer Jascha Heifetz, Violin |
| Porgy and Bess, Movement: Bess, you is my woman now |
George Gershwin, Composer
Brooks Smith, Piano George Gershwin, Composer Jascha Heifetz, Violin |
| Porgy and Bess, Movement: It ain't necessarily so |
George Gershwin, Composer
Brooks Smith, Piano George Gershwin, Composer Jascha Heifetz, Violin |
| Much Ado About Nothing, Movement: Intermezzo (Garden Scene) |
Erich Wolfgang Korngold, Composer
Brooks Smith, Piano Erich Wolfgang Korngold, Composer Jascha Heifetz, Violin |
| (2) Morceaux de Salon, Movement: No. 2, Danse orientale |
Sergey Rachmaninov, Composer
Brooks Smith, Piano Jascha Heifetz, Violin Sergey Rachmaninov, Composer |
| (6) Songs, Movement: No. 3, Daisies (wds. Severianin) |
Sergey Rachmaninov, Composer
Brooks Smith, Piano Jascha Heifetz, Violin Sergey Rachmaninov, Composer |
| (The) Love for Three Oranges, Movement: March |
Sergey Prokofiev, Composer
Brooks Smith, Piano Jascha Heifetz, Violin Sergey Prokofiev, Composer |
| Ave Maria, 'Ellens Gesang III' |
Franz Schubert, Composer
Emanuel Bay, Piano Franz Schubert, Composer Jascha Heifetz, Violin |
| Gayaneh, Movement: Sabre Dance |
Aram Il'yich Khachaturian, Composer
Aram Il'yich Khachaturian, Composer Brooks Smith, Piano Jascha Heifetz, Violin |
| Triakontameron, Movement: Alt Wien (Old Vienna) |
Leopold Godowsky, Composer
Emanuel Bay, Piano Jascha Heifetz, Violin Leopold Godowsky, Composer |
| (6) Lieder, Movement: No. 2, Auf Flügeln des Gesanges (wds. Heine) |
Felix Mendelssohn, Composer
Emanuel Bay, Piano Felix Mendelssohn, Composer Jascha Heifetz, Violin |
| Hora Staccato |
Grigoras Dinicu, Composer
Emanuel Bay, Piano Grigoras Dinicu, Composer Jascha Heifetz, Violin |
| (La) Plus que lente |
Claude Debussy, Composer
Claude Debussy, Composer Emanuel Bay, Piano Jascha Heifetz, Violin |
| (2) Airs de ballet |
Riccardo Drigo, Composer
Emanuel Bay, Piano Jascha Heifetz, Violin Riccardo Drigo, Composer |
| Presto |
Francis Poulenc, Composer
Emanuel Bay, Piano Francis Poulenc, Composer Jascha Heifetz, Violin |
| Estrellita |
Manuel (Maria) Ponce, Composer
Emanuel Bay, Piano Jascha Heifetz, Violin Manuel (Maria) Ponce, Composer |
| Danzas españolas, Movement: Zapateado |
Pablo (Martín Melatón) Sarasate (y Navascuéz), Composer
Emanuel Bay, Piano Jascha Heifetz, Violin Pablo (Martín Melatón) Sarasate (y Navascuéz), Composer |
| (14) Songs, Movement: No. 14, Vocalise (wordless: rev 1915) |
Sergey Rachmaninov, Composer
Emanuel Bay, Piano Jascha Heifetz, Violin Sergey Rachmaninov, Composer |
| Banjo and Fiddle |
William Kroll, Composer
Emanuel Bay, Piano Jascha Heifetz, Violin William Kroll, Composer |
| Hebrew Melody |
Joseph Achron, Composer
Emanuel Bay, Piano Jascha Heifetz, Violin Joseph Achron, Composer |
| Scherzo-tarantelle |
Henryk Wieniawski, Composer
Emanuel Bay, Piano Henryk Wieniawski, Composer Jascha Heifetz, Violin |
Author: Lionel Salter
This disc might well have been designed to illustrate the opening line of Wolf's Italian Songbook, ''Auch kleine Dinge...'', ''Little things also can delight us'', for of the 27 items here that Heifetz recorded between 1946 and 1970 all but four are less than four minutes in length, and all but the most severe puritans must surely enjoy this sparkling exhibition of apparently effortless wizardry. One doesn't need to dwell on his flawless technique, his command of nuance, his tonal beauty or its variety, from gently tender in ''Bess, you is my woman now'' to ferocious in the ''Sabre dance'', his seeming spontaneity in a piece as familiar to him as the Hora staccato (which he put on the map): there is stunning virtuosity in the Sarasate Zapateado; and was the Wieniawski Scherzo-tarantelle ever thrown off at such a speed?
Perhaps less realized by the public at large is his brilliant skill, inventiveness and ingenuity as an arranger—the Drigo ''Valse bluette'', a piece of trifling musical value, is transformed into a dazzling virtuoso showpiece and beyond the violinistic elaborations (extensive double-stopping, octave work, harmonics, etc.), as in the Gershwin pieces, there are canonic games and luscious ultrasophisticated harmonies, as in Estrellita. Just occasionally he goes over the top: Wilhelmj's flowery arrangement of Schubert's Ave Maria is schmalzed up with big ritardandos all over the place; there is an over-sugary On wings of song (with a horrible key-change to the second verse, though I'm not sure that that was Heifetz's doing); and emotion slops over in La plus que lente, especially in some convulsive rubatos in its central section. But these are the exceptions: for the most part, taste is excellent.
Some of the recordings are a bit on the close side for comfort, and the level of the piano sound (Bay in the recordings made before 1950, Smith thereafter) varies a good deal, one or two of Smith's being surprisingly loud. The transfers have been well made, but a rhythmic thud is heard during Rachmaninov's Vocalise, and there is a curious grating noise at the end of Korngold.'
Perhaps less realized by the public at large is his brilliant skill, inventiveness and ingenuity as an arranger—the Drigo ''Valse bluette'', a piece of trifling musical value, is transformed into a dazzling virtuoso showpiece and beyond the violinistic elaborations (extensive double-stopping, octave work, harmonics, etc.), as in the Gershwin pieces, there are canonic games and luscious ultrasophisticated harmonies, as in Estrellita. Just occasionally he goes over the top: Wilhelmj's flowery arrangement of Schubert's Ave Maria is schmalzed up with big ritardandos all over the place; there is an over-sugary On wings of song (with a horrible key-change to the second verse, though I'm not sure that that was Heifetz's doing); and emotion slops over in La plus que lente, especially in some convulsive rubatos in its central section. But these are the exceptions: for the most part, taste is excellent.
Some of the recordings are a bit on the close side for comfort, and the level of the piano sound (Bay in the recordings made before 1950, Smith thereafter) varies a good deal, one or two of Smith's being surprisingly loud. The transfers have been well made, but a rhythmic thud is heard during Rachmaninov's Vocalise, and there is a curious grating noise at the end of Korngold.'
Heifetz Collection - Gershwin & Encores
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