Customer Reviews

Heifetz: Beethoven & Brahms Concertos (Beethoven: Concerto for violin in D; Brahms: Violin Concerto in D Op77)

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There is no need to get this CD when one can now buy the Living Stereo reissues. This same version of the Brahms Violin Concerto is coupled with a glorious recording of the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto, while the Bethoven Violin Concerto is paired on a separate CD with the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto. The other nice thing about the Living Stereo CDs is the Reiner/Chicago recordings (Brahms and Tchaikovsky) are kept together, as are the Munch/Boston recordings. This makes for two altogether more consistent releases. Don't take me wrong, the music on this CD is timeless, but there is no reason to pay $15 for two concertos, when you can get four for just over $20.

Yes, I know Heifetz departed long ago, but I still think many thanks are due to him. Why? Because he is the only one who interprets these concerti with sensible tempi. As the liner notes say, it's all too common for violinists nowadays to play them with broad tempi which are completely at odds with the strong tonal architecture of these works. Sometimes I wonder whether violinists interpret the Brahms in this way because they're not technically capable of playing it with the forward motion it needs. Let me be specific -- in the first movements of both the Brahms and Beethoven, the traditional broad tempi usually leads to a sense of musical rambling. Not so here -- Heifetz and his supporting conductors/orchestras make the first movements grand yet tightly argued. The slow movements are free of sentimentality but strong on sentiment (yes, there IS a difference!), while the finales have plenty of vigour and life. This is especially needed for the Brahms finale, which is traditionally interpreted as some sort of heavy footed dance with a massive slowing down in the third bar of the theme (the score indicates nothing of the sort). Heifetz, I suspect, knew what gypsy fiddling is all about, and gives us a finale that is really fiery and passionate yet absolutely refined in intonation and touching when the middle "C" section/theme backtracks to remind us of the main theme of the slow movement. I'm not a great fan of recordings from the early stereo era and all those people who claim that "classic" interpretations from that era have not been surpassed. But, IMHO, this disc thoroughly deserves its "classic" status. No on interprets the Beethoven and Brahms concerti like Heifetz with Reiner and Munch. Enuf said.

These two recordings are legendary. I don't understand how some violinists can take the first movements of these concerti so slowly. Both the Beethoven and Brahms concerti lose all coherency at a slow tempo. Some people nowadays think that "Slower is More Beautiful". This might be the case with some music, but not the Beethoven and Brahms. These are the interpretations to live by. Every note is in tune, every phrase thought out... the excitement that can be extracted from the first movement of the Brahms is amazing. I always find myself standing up by the end of the first movement. Everyone should own these.

Heifetz was the greatest violinist -- ever. But there were times when he could drive you crazy by playing too fast or where the sound quality was not good. But for the masterworks, like the Brahams violin concerto, no one has ever played them better. Specifically, playing "Big Daddy Brahms" is hard because it is very rich and there is a tendency to slow down at every little musical moment. The result is that in poor performances it can sound thick and make you slightly sea sick. Heifetz does not fall for these traps. He has the unique strength, both technical and musical, to play pure Brahms. This recording is a wonder. The slow movement is one of the most wonderful moments in all of recorded music. Buy this recording and you will listen to it over and over. The Beethoven is just as good.

Jascha Heifetz approach to the Beethoven Concerto is an un-cerebral reading. By that I mean that all other violinists get sentimental about this work. That is understandable as the music is of tremendous beauty. However, when one becomes sentimental or emotional, they inadverdantly infuse their own musical ideas (regardless of the fact that they claim that they are letting the music speak). I know that Heifetz has strong emotional ties for this piece (he wants us to feel the music as it was written, this is apparent), but he does not let that interfer with his delivery of Beethoven's message. The tempi can be ruined by a cerebral interpretation. This speaks to me in many other interpretations. I cannot appreciate the music when I can sense that the artist seems to be playing slowly because they are so caught their own interpretation of the music. That feels like an egotistical display of emotion. Heifetz is a true musician. Because Heifetz will not display an emotional reading of this piece, we can hear Beethoven's music with all of the peaks and valleys that the composer intended. We cannot feel the emotion if it is evident that the artist has beaten us to it.

This is Heifetz - brisk tempi, perfect technique, intense virbrato, and searing beauty. The purist may complain that the Beethoven is taken too quickly, which is true. Perhaps some shade of contemplative reflection is lost in the innate forward push of the tempo, but there is nothing cold about this performance. The Brahms, a perfect vehicle for Jascha, is astounding. There is no saccharine hesitation, no excess dawdling. This is the Brahms at its best, with the contribution of Heifetz's own jaw-dropping cadenza. In sheer perfection and lyrical beauty, this recording has few peers. For those who prefer a "fatter Brahms" with broader tempi, find any of Oistrakh's wonderful recordings.

There has never been (with the exception of Vladimir Horowitz on piano) a soloist of an instrument who is clearly the best at his craft. Heifetz plays Beethoven's and Brahms' concertos with absolute ease. If you are listening very carefully and are trying to spot a flaw, you'll have to acquire Tchaikovsky's violin concerto (which in my opinion is both the most beautiful and at the same time most difficult to play).

As far as comparing Beethoven with Brahms in producing violin concertos, I'll go with Brahms. The music has a deeper beauty and richer melodies. I'm sure that when the composers wrote their respective masterpieces they had no idea that several decades later a violinist with the likes of Heifetz was going to come along and supply both an unseen power and unspeakable beauty that showcases the violin in a way that can never be matched.

I have a deep regard and utmost esteem for the performance of Maestro Jascha Heifetz (1900-87) on this CD. These are recordings of the "towering masterpieces of the genre" according to Mr Mortimer H Frank, Contributing Editor, Fanfare, Stereophile, who also writes the notes. The violin concertos of Beethoven and Brahms presented here were both recorded in 1955. The former in November and the latter in February, conducted by Mr Charles Munch and Mr Fritz Reiner, respectively. I appreciate the reserved style for which Maestro Heifetz was famous. The solos for the first movements of each of the concertos are taut and still, exciting. The second movements (Larghetto & Adagio) are played with maturity and grace in my opinion. Mr Frank compares a previous recording and writes of the Maestro "with his technique remaining secure over the 15 or so years that separate the two versions, such challenges as the exposed octaves with which the violin enters in the Beethoven and the demanding multiple stops in the Brahms are handled with seeming ease." Another aspect I like about this CD is that it presents both concertos back-to-back. The points in common as well as the differences which Beethoven and Brahms bring become much more prominent in this format. The most obvious is that both end with a dance motif (Beethoven : Rondo; Brahms : Hungarian character). I found this to be an educational way of listening to these great pieces. Now, there are those to whom this may not be a consideration. Rather, some have taken to a cost/benefit analysis regarding the price per performance between one format and another. Please keep all costs in mind when doing this comparison and do not neglect the additional shipping cost. ;D Economics is seldom the best approach for artistic decisions. This is all to say that this collection stands on its own with the advantage of have two "towering masterpieces" on one CD. If you are interested in one of the most highly regarded violinists of the twentieth century, or in the violin concertos of the most influential composers of the 19th century, this CD will interest you.

Heifetz seems to be one of those figures that divides the musical community into two opposing camps. Those that support him point out his absolute technical perfection and poise, and those that oppose him often resort to saying that he was "cold", or played too fast. The pro-Heifetz camp certainly have valid points, and if technique and poise are your main criteria, he really was the violinist of the century. However, those issues are secondary to me; what is of primary importance is a sense of improvisation, where every moment is full of love and the joy of living, and that I think is what the critics of Heifetz are reaching for when finding characterstics of his playing objectionable. If so, I feel their criticisms are justified, because I have only rarely heard performers more unspontaneous than Heifetz. Every note, even every sonic curve of every note is determined to the nth degree, so that although you are guaranteed a performance free of mistakes, you are also guaranteed not to hear any inspiration of the moment. To sum up, I feel that Heifetz the performer really was a machine that turned out a reliable, high quality product; if that's what you're looking for, he'll certainly satisfy you.

I have never been a fan of Reiner, now less so than ever. His conducting of the Brahms is as steely cold and impersonal as anything else he does, in fact by listening to the samples here you can hear how he rushes the oboe solo in the second movement so that it becomes totally lifeless. By all means do yourself a favor and listen to the Furtwangler/Menuhin recording instead of this if you want a genuinely human experience.

Munch does a vastly better job with the Beethoven, and although he adopts Heifetz's somewhat over-quick tempi, he still manages to breath some life into the music. Heifetz ruins the experience for me though, so I would recommend you look elsewhere. Of course there are many excellent recordings of this music, but again I personally feel most deeply for Furtwangler's vision of this work. The '53 recording with Menuhin is fine, despite Menuhin being much too closely miked and the performance being a bit stiff. Their Lucerne recording found on Testament is probably best.

Technically correct, and DULL. The notes are all in the right place, the hair is slicked down so that not a single one is out of place, and it is fast. Well, hurray for him. I don't know anyone who doesn't have a recording of either piece that she wouldn't favor over this one. This recording is best the first time you hear it. Then it sinks into oblivion. The Beethoven is played just like the Brahms -- fast, and technically correct. Whoopee!