Heifetz: Bruch No. 1 / Mozart No. 4 Violin Concerti: RCA LM-2652, beautiful copy

$

38

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This excellent LP – a beautiful collector's copy – from RCA (LM-2652, US pressing, shaded dog label – 3S/3S stampers, mono) features Jascha Heifetz in outstanding accounts of Bruch’s Violin Concerto No. 1 in G minor Op. 26 and Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 4 in D Major K. 218, both recorded with Sir Malcolm Sargent and the New Symphony Orchestra of London in sessions held at Walthamstow Assembly Hall, London in March 1962. This is exalted violin playing and music making by any measure and anyone who values the art of the violin will find much to savor.

Wrote critic Robert Maxham for ClassicsToday.com in his review of the EMI Classics CD release, which also contained Mozart's Conceto No. 5 in A Major K. 219 'Turkish' – not included here:

"Heifetz recorded Mozart’s Fourth Concerto twice in the studio: the recording with Thomas Beecham on November 10, 1947, that RCA has now re-released, and a later one with Malcolm Sargent from May 14 and 16, 1962. He liked the Fifth Concerto perhaps even better, since he recorded it three times in the studio: the first, now re-released, with John Barbirolli from February 23, 1934; another with Malcolm Sargent from May 19, 1951; and a third, in which he played and conducted, from October 6, 1963. He recorded Mendelssohn’s Concerto on October 6, 1949, with Thomas Beecham, here re-released, and with Charles Munch on February 23 and 25, 1959. In addition, live performances of all three works, or parts of them, have been issued from time to time.

"If Heifetz enjoyed playing Mozart, he didn’t enjoy a reputation for playing Mozart idiomatically. Yet Henry Roth, who found fault with so many of the greatest artists, had few unkind things to say about Heifetz’s Mozart—except for it’s being idiosyncratic (incidentally, Roth generally preferred the performances on this reissue). Yet at a time when period-performance practitioners have reached out from Vivaldi, Biber, and Handel to Mozart, Heifetz’s readings of Mozart’s concertos shouldn’t any longer seem beyond the pale. In the Fourth Concerto, in fact, it’s downright refreshing to hear the first movement’s passagework sparkle with such brilliance and cleanliness. In the second movement, portamentos and highly individual and recognizable phrasing only sign the performance with the violinist’s unique signature. And who else could bring off the across-the-string passages in the last movement with such clarity at Heifetz’s tempo? Tully Potter mentions in the notes that Heifetz confided in an interview that he thought Mozart and Beethoven posed special challenges—even of the technical kind. He wasn’t alone. Ruggiero Ricci, when asked which concerto he found most difficult to play well, answered almost without reflecting that it was the last movement of Mozart’s Fourth Concerto. When two renowned technicians find the same thing difficult, that thing must be a bone crusher. The engineers placed Heifetz in the midst of the ensemble, but he sounds natural and even richer than he appears in later recordings that may have the advantage of representing his sound closer up.”

This album was produced by Erik Smith and engineered by Kenneth Wilkinson. There are insightful liner notes on the reverse side of the jacket by Samuel Chotzinoff, printed in English only. The striking cover portrait of Heifetz is uncredited.

CONDITION:

The gradations of condition I use are as follows: MINT, Near-Mint, Excellent, Very Good, Good, Fair, Poor.

The condition of the jacket is near-MINT. There is minuscule corner wear, but that is all. There are no bends, seamsplits, or owners’ markings and the jacket remains solid, bright, glossy, and highly attractive – overall, an outstanding collector's copy.

The condition of the LP itself is near-MINT and plays without defect – a superb collector's copy.

PLEASE NOTE:
This LP has been carefully cleaned using a VPI cleaning machine. All LPs are provided with a new Nagaoka (or Nagaoka-style) inner sleeve. The images I've provided are of the actual item you are potentially bidding on - these are not stock images or images I've taken from other sites. Bid with confidence!

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