Notes and Editorial Reviews
Despite what must be an incredible clash of wills, Hollywood has continually courted some of the world's most uncompromising musicians and composers. In this 21st volume of THE HEIFETZ COLLECTION, Jascha Heifetz performs the works of three composers who worked their way through the Hollywood system.
Heifetz, who starred in the 1937 film THEY SHALL HAVE MUSIC, was no stranger to the film industry. Likewise, Austrian-born Erich Wolfgang Korngold wrote virtually nothing but film scores during World War II; the Violin Concerto included in this collection was written in 1945, at Heifetz's encouragement. One might think that working within the constraints of the Hollywood system might have constricted his work, but Korngold's compositions seem
Read more
to have gained a heightened dramatic style from the outside demands of Tinseltown.
Hollywood did not have the same affect on Miklos Rózsa's music for film and performance, although a theme from his Violin Concerto was reused in later film work. His collaboration Heifetz on the project was a classic clash of perfectionists: Whereas Rózsa finished writing the Concerto in six weeks, it took another 18 months before Heifetz was satisfied.
It was Heifetz's uncompromising perfectionism that brought out the best in the composers who worked with him. His extraordinary technical skill allowed them to push their writing to the limit. Franz Waxman's 'Carmen Fantasy' pursues its gypsy theme with imaginative energy that feeds Heifetz's showmanship and love of a challenge. Read less
Works on This Recording
1.
Concerto for Violin in D major, Op. 35 by Erich Wolfgang Korngold
Performer:
Jascha Heifetz (Violin)
Conductor:
Alfred Wallenstein
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1945; USA
Date of Recording: 01/10/1953
Venue: Stage 9, Republic Studios, Hollywood, CA
Length: 21 Minutes 39 Secs.
Notes: This selection is a monaural recording.
2.
Concerto for Violin, Op. 24 by Miklós Rózsa
Performer:
Jascha Heifetz (Violin)
Conductor:
Walter Hendl
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Dallas Symphony Orchestra
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1956
Date of Recording: 03/27/1956
Venue: State Fair Music Hall, Dallas, Texas
Length: 26 Minutes 48 Secs.
3.
Theme and Variations for Violin and Cello, Op. 29a by Miklós Rózsa
Performer:
Jascha Heifetz (Violin),
Gregor Piatigorsky (Cello)
Period: 20th Century
Date of Recording: 10/07/1963
Venue: Scottish Rite Auditorium, Los Angeles
Length: 10 Minutes 59 Secs.
4.
Carmen Fantasy for Violin and Orchestra by Franz Waxman
Performer:
Jascha Heifetz (Violin)
Conductor:
Donald Voorhees
Orchestra/Ensemble:
RCA Victor Symphony Orchestra
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1946
Date of Recording: 11/08/1946
Venue: Lotus Club, New York City
Length: 9 Minutes 30 Secs.
Notes: This selection is a monaural recording.
Sound Samples
Finale: Allegro assai vivace
Allegro non troppo ma passionato
Tema con variazioni: Tema
Tema con variazioni: Variation I
Tema con variazioni: Variation II
Tema con variazioni: Variation III
Tema con variazioni: Variation IV
Tema con variazioni: Variation V
Tema con variazioni: Variation VI
Tema con variazioni: Variation VII
"Carmen" Fantasie, by Franz Waxman, based on themes from an opera by Georges Bizet
Customer Reviews
Average Customer Review: 
( 1 Customer Review )
Terrific recording, disappointing packaging January 15, 2013
By James A. (Bolingbrook, IL) See All My Reviews
"This is a re-issue of Volume 21 of the Heifetz Collection, originally released in the 1990's, with the Korngold and Rozsa concertos, Rozsa's Theme and Variations, and Waxman's Fantasy on Carmen themes. The performances are splendid, but I have to wonder about the Sony/RCA packaging. There are no interior notes. The fifteen tracks are listed, but are not identified by composer or work. The word Piatigorsky appears only on the cover. The orchestras and conductors are not listed at all. It's a shame that Sony would release such a great recording without offering even minimal documentation."
Report Abuse
Review This Title
