HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Jascha Heifetz (; December 10, 1987) was a Russian-born American
violin The violin, sometimes known as a '' fiddle'', is a wooden chordophone ( string instrument) in the violin family. Most violins have a hollow wooden body. It is the smallest and thus highest-pitched instrument ( soprano) in the family in regu ...
ist. Born in
Vilnius Vilnius ( , ; see also other names) is the capital and largest city of Lithuania, with a population of 592,389 (according to the state register) or 625,107 (according to the municipality of Vilnius). The population of Vilnius's functional urba ...
, he moved while still a teenager to the United States, where his
Carnegie Hall Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between West 56th and 57th Streets. Designed by architect William Burnet Tuthill and built ...
debut was rapturously received. He was a virtuoso since childhood.
Fritz Kreisler Friedrich "Fritz" Kreisler (February 2, 1875 – January 29, 1962) was an Austrian-born American violinist and composer. One of the most noted violin masters of his day, and regarded as one of the greatest violinists of all time, he was know ...
, another leading violinist of the twentieth century, said after hearing Heifetz's debut, "We might as well take our fiddles and break them across our knees." He had a long and successful performing career; however, after an injury to his right (bowing) arm, he switched his focus to teaching. Late in life, Heifetz became a dedicated teacher and a champion of socio-political causes. He publicly advocated to establish 9-1-1 as an emergency phone number, and crusaded for clean air. He and his students at the
University of Southern California , mottoeng = "Let whoever earns the palm bear it" , religious_affiliation = Nonsectarian—historically Methodist , established = , accreditation = WSCUC , type = Private research university , academic_affiliations = , endowment = $8.1 ...
protested smog by wearing gas masks, and in 1967, he converted his Renault passenger car into an electric vehicle.


Early life

Heifetz was born into a Lithuanian-Jewish family in
Vilnius Vilnius ( , ; see also other names) is the capital and largest city of Lithuania, with a population of 592,389 (according to the state register) or 625,107 (according to the municipality of Vilnius). The population of Vilnius's functional urba ...
(
Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War ...
, now
Lithuania Lithuania (; lt, Lietuva ), officially the Republic of Lithuania ( lt, Lietuvos Respublika, links=no ), is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea. Lithuania ...
). His father, Reuven Heifetz, was a local violin teacher and served as the concertmaster of the Vilnius Theatre Orchestra for one season before the theatre closed down. While Jascha was an infant, his father did a series of tests, observing how his son responded to his violin playing. This convinced him that Jascha had great potential, and before Jascha was two years old, his father bought him a small violin, and taught him bowing and simple fingering. At four years old, he started lessons with Elias Malkin. He was a
child prodigy A child prodigy is defined in psychology research literature as a person under the age of ten who produces meaningful output in some domain at the level of an adult expert. The term is also applied more broadly to young people who are extraor ...
, making his public debut at seven, in Kovno (now
Kaunas Kaunas (; ; also see other names) is the second-largest city in Lithuania after Vilnius and an important centre of Lithuanian economic, academic, and cultural life. Kaunas was the largest city and the centre of a county in the Duchy of Traka ...
, Lithuania) playing the Violin Concerto in E minor by
Felix Mendelssohn Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (3 February 18094 November 1847), born and widely known as Felix Mendelssohn, was a German composer, pianist, organist and conductor of the early Romantic period. Mendelssohn's compositions include sym ...
. In 1910, he entered the
Saint Petersburg Conservatory The N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov Saint Petersburg State Conservatory (russian: Санкт-Петербургская государственная консерватория имени Н. А. Римского-Корсакова) (formerly known as th ...
to study under Ovanes
Nalbandian Nalbandian ( hy, Նալբանդյան; Western Armenian: Նալպանտեան) is an Armenian surname that derives from hy, նալբանդ, lit=one who makes horseshoes, translit=nalband, label=none, which is of Persian origin. Nalbandian may ...
and later under Leopold Auer. He played in Germany and Scandinavia, and met
Fritz Kreisler Friedrich "Fritz" Kreisler (February 2, 1875 – January 29, 1962) was an Austrian-born American violinist and composer. One of the most noted violin masters of his day, and regarded as one of the greatest violinists of all time, he was know ...
for the first time in a Berlin private house, in a "private press matinee on May 20, 1912. The home was that of Arthur Abell, the pre-eminent Berlin music critic for the American magazine, ''Musical Courier''. Among other noted violinists in attendance was Fritz Kreisler. After the 12-year-old Heifetz performed the Mendelssohn violin concerto, Abell reported that Kreisler said to all present, 'We may as well break our fiddles across our knees.'" Heifetz visited much of Europe while still in his teens. In April 1911, he performed in an outdoor concert in St. Petersburg before 25,000 spectators; there was such a reaction that police officers needed to protect the young violinist after the concert. In 1914, he performed with the
Berlin Philharmonic The Berlin Philharmonic (german: Berliner Philharmoniker, links=no, italic=no) is a German orchestra based in Berlin. It is one of the most popular, acclaimed and well-respected orchestras in the world. History The Berlin Philharmonic was fo ...
conducted by Arthur Nikisch. The conductor said he had never heard such an excellent violinist.


Career

Heifetz and his family left Russia in 1917, traveling by rail to the Russian far east and then by ship to the United States, arriving in San Francisco. On October 27, 1917, Heifetz played for the first time in the United States, at
Carnegie Hall Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between West 56th and 57th Streets. Designed by architect William Burnet Tuthill and built ...
in
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...
, and became an immediate sensation.Kahn (1969), p.66 Fellow violinist
Mischa Elman Mischa (Mikhail Saulovich) Elman (russian: Михаил Саулович Эльман; January 20, 1891April 5, 1967) was a Russian-born American violinist famed for his passionate style, beautiful tone, and impeccable artistry and musicality. E ...
in the audience asked "Do you think it's hot in here?", whereupon the pianist Leopold Godowsky, in the next seat, replied, "Not for pianists." In 1917, Heifetz was elected an honorary member of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, the national fraternity for men in music, by the fraternity's Alpha chapter at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston. At 16, he was perhaps the youngest person ever elected to membership in the organization. Heifetz remained in the country and became an American citizen in 1925. A story circulates that tells of an interaction with one of the
Marx Brothers The Marx Brothers were an American family comedy act that was successful in vaudeville, on Broadway, and in motion pictures from 1905 to 1949. Five of the Marx Brothers' thirteen feature films were selected by the American Film Institute (AFI) ...
: when he told the brother (usually
Groucho Julius Henry "Groucho" Marx (; October 2, 1890 – August 19, 1977) was an American comedian, actor, writer, stage, film, radio, singer, television star and vaudeville performer. He is generally considered to have been a master of quick wit an ...
or Harpo) that he had been earning his living as a musician since the age of seven, he received the reply, "Before that, I suppose, you were just a bum." In 1954, Heifetz began working with pianist Brooks Smith, who was Heifetz's accompanist for many years until he changed to
Ayke Agus Ayke Agus (born 1949) is an Indonesian classical violinist and pianist, known primarily through her longtime collaboration with the violinist Jascha Heifetz. She is one of the rare classical music performers who has performed as a soloist accompa ...
as his accompanist in retirement. He was also accompanied in concert for more than 20 years by Emanuel Bay, another immigrant from Russia and a personal friend. Heifetz's musicianship was such that he would demonstrate to his accompanist how he wanted passages to sound on the piano, and would even suggest which fingerings to use. After the seasons of 1955–56, Heifetz announced that he would sharply curtail his concert activity, saying "I have been playing for a very long time." In 1958, he tripped in his kitchen and fractured his right hip, resulting in hospitalization at Cedars of Lebanon Hospital and a near fatal staphylococcus infection. He was invited to play Beethoven at the United Nations General Assembly, and entered leaning on a cane. By 1967, Heifetz had considerably curtailed his concert performances.Kahn (1969), p.68


Technique and timbre

Heifetz was "regarded as the greatest violin virtuoso since Paganini", wrote Lois Timnick of the ''
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the ...
''.continued on page 38
o
(web)
/ref> "He set all standards for 20th-century violin playing...everything about him conspired to create a sense of awe", wrote music critic Harold Schonberg of ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
''. "The goals he set still remain, and for violinists today it's rather depressing that they may never really be attained again", wrote violinist
Itzhak Perlman Itzhak Perlman ( he, יצחק פרלמן; born August 31, 1945) is an Israeli-American violinist widely considered one of the greatest violinists in the world. Perlman has performed worldwide and throughout the United States, in venues that hav ...
. Virgil Thomson called Heifetz's style of playing "silk underwear music", a term he did not intend as a compliment. Other critics argue that he infused his playing with feeling and reverence for the composer's intentions. His style of playing was highly influential in defining the way modern violinists approached the instrument. His use of rapid vibrato, emotionally charged portamento, fast tempi, and superb bow control coalesced to create a highly distinctive sound that makes Heifetz's playing instantly recognizable to aficionados. Itzhak Perlman, who himself is known for his rich warm tone and expressive use of portamento, described Heifetz's tone as like "a tornado" because of its emotional intensity. Perlman said that Heifetz preferred to record relatively close to the microphone—and as a result, one would perceive a somewhat different tone quality when listening to Heifetz during a concert hall performance. Heifetz was very particular about his choice of strings. He used a silver-wound Tricolore gut G string, plain unvarnished gut D and A strings, and a Goldbrokat medium steel E string, and employed clear Hill-brand rosin sparingly. Heifetz believed that playing on gut strings was important in rendering an individual sound.


Early recordings

Heifetz made his first recordings in Russia during 1910–11, while still a student of Leopold Auer. The existence of these recordings was not generally known until after Heifetz's death, when several sides, including François Schubert's ''L'Abeille'', were reissued on an LP included as a supplement to ''
The Strad ''The Strad'' is a UK-based monthly classical music magazine about string instrumentsprincipally the violin, viola, cello The cello ( ; plural ''celli'' or ''cellos'') or violoncello ( ; ) is a bowed (sometimes plucked and occasionally hi ...
'' magazine. Shortly after his Carnegie Hall debut on November 7, 1917, Heifetz made his first recordings for the
Victor Talking Machine Company The Victor Talking Machine Company was an American recording company and phonograph manufacturer that operated independently from 1901 until 1929, when it was acquired by the Radio Corporation of America and subsequently operated as a subsidi ...
/
RCA Victor RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also A ...
where he remained for most of the rest of his career. On October 28, 1927, Heifetz was the starring act at the grand opening of
Tucson, Arizona , "(at the) base of the black ill , nicknames = "The Old Pueblo", "Optics Valley", "America's biggest small town" , image_map = , mapsize = 260px , map_caption = Interactive map ...
's now-historic Temple of Music and Art. For several years, in the 1930s, Heifetz recorded primarily for HMV/EMI in the UK because RCA Victor cut back on expensive classical recording sessions during the
Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...
; these HMV discs were issued in the United States by RCA Victor. Heifetz often enjoyed playing chamber music. Various critics have blamed his limited success in chamber ensembles to the fact that his artistic personality tended to overwhelm his colleagues. Collaborations include his 1941 recordings of
piano trio A piano trio is a group of piano and two other instruments, usually a violin and a cello, or a piece of music written for such a group. It is one of the most common forms found in classical chamber music. The term can also refer to a group of m ...
s by Beethoven, Schubert, and Brahms with cellist Emanuel Feuermann and pianist
Arthur Rubinstein Arthur Rubinstein ( pl, Artur Rubinstein; 28 January 188720 December 1982) was a Polish-American pianist.
as well as a later collaboration with Rubinstein and cellist Gregor Piatigorsky, with whom he recorded trios by
Maurice Ravel Joseph Maurice Ravel (7 March 1875 – 28 December 1937) was a French composer, pianist and conductor. He is often associated with Impressionism along with his elder contemporary Claude Debussy, although both composers rejected the term. In ...
, Tchaikovsky, and
Felix Mendelssohn Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (3 February 18094 November 1847), born and widely known as Felix Mendelssohn, was a German composer, pianist, organist and conductor of the early Romantic period. Mendelssohn's compositions include sym ...
. Both formations were sometimes referred to as the ''Million Dollar Trio''. Heifetz also recorded some string quintets with violinist Israel Baker, violists William Primrose and Virginia Majewski, and Piatigorsky. Heifetz recorded the Beethoven Violin Concerto in 1940 with the
NBC Symphony Orchestra The NBC Symphony Orchestra was a radio orchestra conceived by David Sarnoff, the president of the Radio Corporation of America, especially for the conductor Arturo Toscanini. The NBC Symphony performed weekly radio concert broadcasts with Tosc ...
conducted by
Arturo Toscanini Arturo Toscanini (; ; March 25, 1867January 16, 1957) was an Italian conductor. He was one of the most acclaimed and influential musicians of the late 19th and early 20th century, renowned for his intensity, his perfectionism, his ear for orch ...
, and again in stereo in 1955 with the
Boston Symphony Orchestra The Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO) is an American orchestra based in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the second-oldest of the five major American symphony orchestras commonly referred to as the " Big Five". Founded by Henry Lee Higginson in 18 ...
conducted by Charles Munch. A live performance of an NBC radio broadcast from April 9, 1944, of Heifetz playing the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto with Toscanini and the NBC Symphony has also been released, unofficially. He performed and recorded Erich Wolfgang Korngold's Violin Concerto at a time when Korngold's scoring of films for Warner Bros. prompted many classical musicians to develop the opinion Korngold was not a "serious" composer and to avoid his music in order to avoid being associated with him.


World War II

During the war, Heifetz commissioned a number of pieces, including the Violin Concerto by William Walton. He also arranged a number of pieces, such as '' Hora Staccato'' by Grigoraș Dinicu, a Romanian whom Heifetz is rumoured to have called the greatest violinist he had ever heard. Heifetz also played and composed for the piano. He performed mess hall jazz for soldiers at Allied camps across Europe during the Second World War, and under the alias Jim Hoyl he wrote a hit song, "When You Make Love to Me (Don't Make Believe)", which was sung by
Bing Crosby Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer, musician and actor. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwide. He was a ...
.


Decca recordings

From 1944 to 1946, largely as a result of the
American Federation of Musicians The American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada (AFM/AFofM) is a 501(c)(5) labor union representing professional instrumental musicians in the United States and Canada. The AFM, which has its headquarters in New York City, ...
recording ban (which began in 1942), Heifetz recorded with American Decca because the company settled with the union in 1943, well before RCA Victor resolved their dispute with the musicians. He recorded primarily short pieces, including his own arrangements of music by
George Gershwin George Gershwin (; born Jacob Gershwine; September 26, 1898 – July 11, 1937) was an American composer and pianist whose compositions spanned popular, jazz and classical genres. Among his best-known works are the orchestral compositions ' ...
and Stephen Foster; these were pieces he often played as encores in his recitals. He was accompanied on the piano by Emanuel Bay or Milton Kaye. Among the more uncommon discs featured one of Decca's popular artists,
Bing Crosby Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer, musician and actor. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwide. He was a ...
, in the "Lullaby" from Benjamin Godard's opera ''
Jocelyn Jocelyn is a surname and first name. It is a unisex (male/female) name. Variants include Jocelin, Jocelyne, Jocelynn, Jocelynne, Joscelin, Josceline, Joscelyn, Joscelynn, Joscelynne, Joseline, Joselyn, Joselyne, Joslin, Joslyn, Josselin, Josselyn, ...
'' and ''Where My Caravan Has Rested'' (arranged by Heifetz and Crosby) by Hermann Löhr (1871–1943); Decca's studio orchestra was conducted by
Victor Young Albert Victor Young (August 8, 1899– November 10, 1956)"Victor Young, Composer, Dies of Heart Attack", ''Oakland Tribune'', November 12, 1956. was an American composer, arranger, violinist and conductor. Biography Young is commonly said to ...
on July 27, 1946, session. Heifetz soon returned to RCA Victor, where he continued to make recordings until the early 1970s.


Later recordings

Returning to RCA Victor in 1946, Heifetz continued to record extensively for the company, including solo, chamber, and concerto recordings, primarily with the
Boston Symphony Orchestra The Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO) is an American orchestra based in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the second-oldest of the five major American symphony orchestras commonly referred to as the " Big Five". Founded by Henry Lee Higginson in 18 ...
under Charles Munch and the
Chicago Symphony Orchestra The Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO) was founded by Theodore Thomas in 1891. The ensemble makes its home at Orchestra Hall in Chicago and plays a summer season at the Ravinia Festival. The music director is Riccardo Muti, who began his tenu ...
under Fritz Reiner. In 2000, RCA released a double CD compilation entitled ''Jascha Heifetz – The Supreme''. This release provides a sampling of Heifetz's major recordings, including the 1955 recording of Brahms's Violin Concerto with Reiner and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra; the 1957 recording of Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto (with the same forces); the 1959 recording of Sibelius's Violin Concerto with Walter Hendl and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra; the 1961 recording of Max Bruch's ''
Scottish Fantasy The ''Scottish Fantasy'' in E-flat major (german: Fantasie für die Violine mit Orchester und Harfe unter freier Benutzung schottischer Volksmelodien), Op. 46, is a composition for violin and orchestra by Max Bruch. Completed in 1880, it was de ...
'' with Sir Malcolm Sargent and the New Symphony Orchestra of London; the 1963 recording of Glazunov's A minor Concerto with Walter Hendl and the RCA Victor Symphony Orchestra (drawn from New York musicians); the 1965 recording of George Gershwin's '' Three Preludes'' (transcribed by Heifetz) with pianist Brooks Smith; and the 1970 recording of Bach's unaccompanied ''Chaconne'' from the Partita No. 2 in D minor.


Third Israel tour

On his third tour to
Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
in 1953, Heifetz included the
Violin Sonata A violin sonata is a musical composition for violin, often accompanied by a keyboard instrument and in earlier periods with a bass instrument doubling the keyboard bass line. The violin sonata developed from a simple baroque form with no fixed fo ...
by
Richard Strauss Richard Georg Strauss (; 11 June 1864 – 8 September 1949) was a German composer, conductor, pianist, and violinist. Considered a leading composer of the late Romantic and early modern eras, he has been described as a successor of Richard Wag ...
in his recitals. At the time, many considered Strauss and a number of other German intellectuals Nazis, or at least Nazi sympathizers, and Strauss works were unofficially banned in Israel along with those of
Richard Wagner Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( ; ; 22 May 181313 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, polemicist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most op ...
. Despite the fact that the
Holocaust The Holocaust, also known as the Shoah, was the genocide of European Jews during World War II. Between 1941 and 1945, Nazi Germany and its collaborators systematically murdered some six million Jews across German-occupied Europe; ...
had occurred less than ten years earlier and a last-minute plea from the Israeli Minister of Education, the defiant Heifetz argued, "The music is above these factors … I will not change my program. I have the right to decide on my repertoire." Throughout his tour the performance of the Strauss sonata was followed by dead silence. Heifetz was attacked after his recital in
Jerusalem Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...
outside his hotel by a young man who struck Heifetz's violin case with a crowbar, prompting Heifetz to use his bow-controlling right hand to protect his priceless violins. The attacker escaped and was never found. The attack has since been attributed to the
Kingdom of Israel The Kingdom of Israel may refer to any of the historical kingdoms of ancient Israel, including: Fully independent (c. 564 years) *Kingdom of Israel (united monarchy) (1047–931 BCE), the legendary kingdom established by the Israelites and uniting ...
terrorist group. The incident made headlines and Heifetz defiantly announced that he would not stop playing the Strauss. Threats continued to come, however, and he omitted the Strauss from his next recital without explanation. His last concert was cancelled after his swollen right hand began to hurt. He left Israel and did not return until 1970.


Emigration to the U.S.

The Soviet establishment considered Heifetz and his teacher Leopold Auer traitors to their home country for emigrating to the US. Meanwhile, musicians who remained, such as David Oistrakh, were seen as patriots. Heifetz greatly criticized the Soviet regime, and condemned the International Tchaikovsky Competition for bias against Western competitors. During the
Carl Flesch Competition The Carl Flesch International Violin Competition (also known as the International Competition for Violinists "Carl Flesch" and the City of London International Competition for Violin and Viola (Carl Flesch Medal)) was an international music competi ...
in London, Oistrakh tried to persuade
Erick Friedman Erick Friedman (16 August 1939 – 30 March 2004) was an American violinist. He performed around the world as guest soloist with orchestras such as the New York Philharmonic, the Berlin Philharmonic, Orchestre de Paris, Chicago Symphony Orches ...
, Heifetz's star student, to enter the Tchaikovsky Competition, of which he was the principal juror. Hearing of this, Heifetz strongly advised against it, warning Friedman, "You will see what will happen there." Consequently, the competition received international outrage after Friedman, already a seasoned performer and RCA Victor recording artist, who had performed with the
Chicago Symphony Orchestra The Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO) was founded by Theodore Thomas in 1891. The ensemble makes its home at Orchestra Hall in Chicago and plays a summer season at the Ravinia Festival. The music director is Riccardo Muti, who began his tenu ...
,
London Symphony Orchestra The London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) is a British symphony orchestra based in London. Founded in 1904, the LSO is the oldest of London's orchestras, symphony orchestras. The LSO was created by a group of players who left Henry Wood's Queen's ...
, and the
Boston Symphony Orchestra The Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO) is an American orchestra based in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the second-oldest of the five major American symphony orchestras commonly referred to as the " Big Five". Founded by Henry Lee Higginson in 18 ...
, among many others, was placed sixth behind players who had yet to establish themselves.
Joseph Szigeti Joseph Szigeti ( hu">Szigeti József, ; 5 September 189219 February 1973) was a Hungarian violinist. Born into a musical family, he spent his early childhood in a small town in Transylvania. He quickly proved himself to be a child prodigy on ...
later informed Heifetz himself that he had given Friedman top scores.


Later life

After an only partially successful operation on his right shoulder in 1972, Heifetz ceased giving concerts and making records. His prowess as a performer remained, and he still played privately until the end—but his bow arm was affected, and he could never again hold the bow as high as before. Heifetz taught the violin extensively, holding master classes first at
UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California ...
, then at the
University of Southern California , mottoeng = "Let whoever earns the palm bear it" , religious_affiliation = Nonsectarian—historically Methodist , established = , accreditation = WSCUC , type = Private research university , academic_affiliations = , endowment = $8.1 ...
, where the faculty included renowned cellist Gregor Piatigorsky and violist William Primrose. For a few years in the 1980s, he also held classes in his private studio at home in Beverly Hills. His teaching studio can be seen today in the main building of the
Colburn School The Colburn School is a private music school in Los Angeles with a focus on music and dance. It consists of four divisions: the Conservatory of Music, Music Academy, Community School of Performing Arts and the Dance Academy. It is located adja ...
and serves as an inspiration to the students there. During his teaching career Heifetz taught, among others,
Erick Friedman Erick Friedman (16 August 1939 – 30 March 2004) was an American violinist. He performed around the world as guest soloist with orchestras such as the New York Philharmonic, the Berlin Philharmonic, Orchestre de Paris, Chicago Symphony Orches ...
,
Pierre Amoyal Pierre Amoyal (born 22 June 1949 in Paris) is a French violinist and is the artistic director of the Conservatory of Lausanne. He owns the "Kochanski" Stradivarius of 1717. It was stolen from him in 1987 and recovered in 1991. Life and ca ...
, Adam Han-Gorski, Rudolf Koelman, Endre Granat, Teiji Okubo, Eugene Fodor, Paul Rosenthal, Ilkka Talvi and
Ayke Agus Ayke Agus (born 1949) is an Indonesian classical violinist and pianist, known primarily through her longtime collaboration with the violinist Jascha Heifetz. She is one of the rare classical music performers who has performed as a soloist accompa ...
.


Death

Heifetz died at
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Cedars-Sinai Medical Center is a nonprofit, tertiary, 886-bed teaching hospital and multi-specialty academic health science center located in Los Angeles, California. Part of the Cedars-Sinai Health System, the hospital employs a staff of over ...
in
Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...
, on December 10, 1987, at the age of 86 following a fall in his home.


Legacy

Heifetz owned the 1714 '' Dolphin Stradivarius'', the 1731 "Piel" Stradivarius, the 1736 Carlo Tononi, and the 1742 ''ex David'' Guarneri del Gesù, the last of which he preferred and kept until his death. The Dolphin Strad is currently owned by the Nippon Music Foundation and is on loan to Ray Chen. The Heifetz Tononi violin, used at his 1917 Carnegie Hall debut, was left in his will to Sherry Kloss, his Master-Teaching Assistant, with "one of my four good bows". Violinist Kloss wrote ''Jascha Heifetz Through My Eyes'', and is a co-founder of the Jascha Heifetz Society. The famed Guarneri is now in the San Francisco Legion of Honor Museum, as instructed by Heifetz in his will, and may only be taken out and played "on special occasions" by deserving players. The instrument has recently been on loan to San Francisco Symphony's concertmaster
Alexander Barantschik Alexander Barantschik (born 1953) joined the San Francisco Symphony as Concertmaster in September 2001, having served as Concertmaster of the London Symphony Orchestra and Netherlands Radio Philharmonic. Born in St. Petersburg, after training at t ...
, who featured it in 2006 with Andrei Gorbatenko and the
San Francisco Academy Orchestra The San Francisco Academy Orchestra, founded in 2000, is an American Symphony Orchestra based in San Francisco, California. Mission To preserve, promote, and present the art of orchestral performance as a vital form of human expression. Brief His ...
in 2006. In 1989, Heifetz received a posthumous
Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award The Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award is a special Grammy Award that is awarded by The Recording Academy The Recording Academy (formally the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences; abbreviated NARAS) is an American learned academy of ...
.


Family

Heifetz's son Jay is a professional photographer. He was formerly head of marketing for the
Los Angeles Philharmonic The Los Angeles Philharmonic, commonly referred to as the LA Phil, is an American orchestra based in Los Angeles, California. It has a regular season of concerts from October through June at the Walt Disney Concert Hall, and a summer season at th ...
and
Hollywood Bowl The Hollywood Bowl is an amphitheatre in the Hollywood Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. It was named one of the 10 best live music venues in America by ''Rolling Stone'' magazine in 2018. The Hollywood Bowl is known for its distin ...
, and the chief financial officer of
Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film and television production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the main namesake division of Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS). It is the fifth-oldes ...
' Worldwide Video Division. He lives and works in
Fremantle Fremantle () () is a port city in Western Australia, located at the mouth of the Swan River in the metropolitan area of Perth, the state capital. Fremantle Harbour serves as the port of Perth. The Western Australian vernacular diminutive for ...
,
Western Australia Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to t ...
. Heifetz's daughter, Josefa Heifetz Byrne, is a lexicographer, the author of the ''Dictionary of Unusual, Obscure and Preposterous Words''. Heifetz's great-niece is famed clarinetist, formerly of the LA Philharmonic, Michele Zukovsky.


Filmography

Heifetz played a featured role in the movie '' They Shall Have Music'' (1939) directed by Archie Mayo and written by John Howard Lawson and Irmgard von Cube. He played himself, stepping in to save a music school for poor children from foreclosure. He later appeared in the film, ''
Carnegie Hall Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between West 56th and 57th Streets. Designed by architect William Burnet Tuthill and built ...
'' (1947), performing an abridged version of the first movement of Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto, with the orchestra led by Fritz Reiner, and consoling the star of the picture, who had watched his performance. In 1951, he appeared in the film ''Of Men and Music''. In 1962, he appeared in a televised series of his master classes, and, in 1971, ''Heifetz on Television'' aired, an hour-long color special that featured the violinist performing a series of short works, the ''
Scottish Fantasy The ''Scottish Fantasy'' in E-flat major (german: Fantasie für die Violine mit Orchester und Harfe unter freier Benutzung schottischer Volksmelodien), Op. 46, is a composition for violin and orchestra by Max Bruch. Completed in 1880, it was de ...
'' by Max Bruch, and the Chaconne from the Partita No. 2 by J.S.Bach. Heifetz conducted the orchestra, as the surviving video recording documents. The most recent film featuring Heifetz, ''Jascha Heifetz: God's Fiddler'', premiered on April 16, 2011, at the
Colburn School The Colburn School is a private music school in Los Angeles with a focus on music and dance. It consists of four divisions: the Conservatory of Music, Music Academy, Community School of Performing Arts and the Dance Academy. It is located adja ...
of Music. It is described as: "The only film biography of the world's most renowned violinist, featuring family home movies in Los Angeles and all over the world. The documentary-like film talks about Heifetz's life and accomplishments and gives an inside view of his personal life."


Notable instruments

* ''Dolphin'' 1714 Stradivarius * ''Heifetz-Piel'' 1731 Stradivarius * Antonio Stradivari 1734 * Carlo Tononi 1736 *
Giovanni Battista Guadagnini Giovanni Battista Guadagnini (often shortened to G. B. Guadagnini; 23 June 1711 – 18 September 1786) was an Italian luthier, regarded as one of the finest craftsmen of string instruments in history. Reprint with new introduction by Stewart Pol ...
, Piacenza 1741 * ''ex-David'' 1742 Guarneri


Discography

Jascha Heifetz was a prolific recording artist. All of his recordings have been reissued on
compact disc The compact disc (CD) is a digital optical disc data storage format that was co-developed by Philips and Sony to store and play digital audio recordings. In August 1982, the first compact disc was manufactured. It was then released in O ...
. * J.S. Bach Chaconne DVD * Mendelssohn Octet In E-flat Major * Mozart Concerto In D Major * Mozart Symphonie Concertante In E-flat Major * Stravinsky Suite Italienne * Toch "Divertimento, Op. 37, No. 2" * Turina "Trio, Op. 35, No. 1" * Vieuxtemps Concerto No. 5 * Bach Concerto In A Minor * Bach "Sonata No. 1, Partita No. 2" * Bach "Sonata No. 2, Partita No. 3" * Bach "Sonata, No. 3, Partita No. 1" * Beethoven Concerto In D Major * Beethoven "Archduke Trio In B-flat Major, Op. 97, No. 7" * Beethoven "Sonata In A Minor, No. 4" * Beethoven Kreutzer Sonata * Beethoven "Sonata No. 8, Sonata No. 10" * Beethoven "Trios In G, Op. 9, No. 1" * Beethoven "Trio In E-flat Major, Op. 3" * Beethoven Violin Concerto In D * Beethoven "Trio In D, Op. 9, No. 2" * Beethoven "Piano Trio, Op. 1, No. 1 " * Bloch Poème Mystique * Bloch Sonata * Brahms Concerto For Violin And Cello * Brahms Piano Quartet In C Minor * Brahms "Quintette In G, Op. 111 " * Brahms Trio No. 1 In B Major * Brahms "Concerto In D, Op. 77" * Brahms Violin Concerto * Brahms 3 Hungarian Dances * Brahms Concerto, Chausson – Poème, Bruch – Scottish Fantasy * Bruch Scottish Fantasy * Bruch "Concerto In G Minor, Op. 26, No. 1" * Bruch Concerto No. 2 * Castelnuovo -Tedesco ? Concerto No. 2 * Chausson Poème Op. 25 * Dohnányi Serenade In C * Dvořák "Piano Trio In F Minor, Op. 65" * Dvořák Piano Quintet In A * Dvořák Piano Quintet No. 2 * Ferguson Sonata No. 1 * Françaix String Trio * Franck Sonata In A * Franck Piano Quintet In F Minor * Gershwin Porgy And Bess; Music Of France * Glazounov Violin Concerto * Glière "Duo For Violin And Cello, Op. 39" * Handel Halvorsen Passacaglia For Violin And Cello * J.S. Bach Concerto In D Minor * Khachaturian "Sonata, Op. 1" * Korngold "Violin Concerto In D, Op. 35" * Mendelssohn "Trio In C Minor, No. 2" * Mendelssohn "Trio No. 1 In D Minor, Op. 49 " * Mendelssohn Concerto In E Minor * Mendelssohn Concerto In E Minor * Mendelssohn "String Octet in E-flat Major, Op. 20" * Mozart Quintet In C Minor * Mozart "Divertimento In E=flat Major, K. 563" * Mozart "Concerto In A, No. 5, K. 219 " * Mozart "Divertimento In E-flat, Duo In B-flat, No. 2" * Mozart "Sonata No. 10, K378, No. 15, K454" * Mozart "Symphonie In E-flat, K. 364" * Mozart "Violin Concerto, No. 5, K. 219" * Mozart "Quintet In C, K. 515" * Paganini 3 Caprices * Prokofieff "Concerto In G Minor, No. 2" * Respighi Sonata In D Minor * Rózsa Concerto * Saint-Saëns "Sonata In D, No. 1" * Schubert Fantaisie * Schubert "Trio No. 1, In B, Op. 49" * Schubert Quintet In C Major * Sibelius Violin Concerto * Spohr Double String Quartet * Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto In D, Op. 35 * Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto, Sinding – Suite * Tschaikowsky Violin Concerto * Tschaikowsky Sérénade Mélancolique * Vivaldi Concerto For Violin And Cello In B-flat; * Walton Concerto For Violin * Arensky Trio In D Minor * Bach Concerto In E Major * Beethoven "Sonata In C Minor, No. 7" * Beethoven "Romances, No. 1 and 2" * Beethoven "Trios In C Minor, Op. 9, No. 3" * Beethoven "Spring Sonata In F, Op. 24, No. 5" * Beethoven "Piano Trio In E-flat, Op. 70, No. 2" * Brahms Concerto In A Minor * Bruch Concerto In G Minor * Castelnuovo-Tedesco "The Lark, Fauré – Sonata, Op. 13" * Grieg Sonata In G * Haydn Divertimento, Rózsa – Tema Con Variazioni * Lalo "Symphonie Espagnole, Op. 21" * Martin Duo For Violin And Cello * Schubert Sonatina in G minor * Schubert "Trio In B-flat, No. 2" * Strauss Sonata In E-flat * Tchaikovsky "Trio In A Minor, Op. 50" * Beethoven "Sonata No. 3, Sonata No. 6" * Bach Three Sinfonia; * Bach Concerto For Two Violins * Beethoven Sonata No. 7 * Beethoven Sonata Nos. 1 &2 * Benjamin Romantic Fantasy * Benjamin Romantic Fantasy * Boccherini Sonata In D * Brahms Sextet In G Major * Bruch Scottish Fantasy * Chausson Concerto For Violin * Conus Concerto In E Minor * Debussy "Sonata In G Minor, No. 3" * Dvořák "Piano Trio, Dumky" * Grieg "Sonata No. 3, Brahms – Sonata No. 1 * Wieniawski, Tchaikovsky, Rameau, J.S.Bach, Padilla, Sarasate" * Handel Halvorsen – Passacaglia * Handel Sonata In E Major * Mozart "Sonata In C, No. 8, K. 296" * Mozart "Concerto In D, No. 1, K. 218" * Prokofieff Concerto In G Minor * Ravel Trio In A Minor * Ravel Tzigane * Saint-Saëns "Sonata In D Minor, Op. 75, No. 1" * Schubert Sonata In G Minor * Spohr Concerto No. 8 * Strauss Sonata In E-flat * Toch Vivace molto * Vieuxtemps "Concerto In A Minor, Op. 37, No. 5" * Vitali Chaconne * Wieniawski Concerto No. 2


See also

* Jascha Heifetz Competition


References


Sources

* Auer, Leopold, 1923, ''My Long Life in Music'', Stokes, New York


External links

* Jascha Heifet
official website

Jascha Heifetz
at Sony BMG Masterworks
NPR Classical Music: Heifetz at War: Behind the Scenes, Near the Front
*
Jascha Heifetz Collection (ARS.0046), Stanford Archive of Recorded Sound

Jascha Heifetz recordings
at the
Discography of American Historical Recordings The Discography of American Historical Recordings (DAHR) is a database of master recordings made by American record companies during the 78rpm era. The DAHR provides some of these original recordings, free of charge, via audio streaming, along with ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Heifetz, Jascha 1901 births 1987 deaths 20th-century American Jews American people of Lithuanian-Jewish descent 20th-century American male musicians 20th-century classical violinists 20th-century Russian male musicians 20th-century Russian musicians American classical violinists American male violinists Child classical musicians Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winners Jewish American classical musicians Jewish classical musicians Jewish classical violinists Male classical violinists Musicians from Vilnius Russian classical violinists Russian Jews Saint Petersburg Conservatory alumni USC Thornton School of Music faculty Emigrants from the Russian Empire to the United States 20th-century American violinists