Rob Cowan's Guinness Classical 1000 - Heifetz Definitive Performances

 Rob Cowan's Guinness Classical 1000

see https://www.amazon.co.uk/Guinness-Classical-Top-1000/dp/0851120016

Rob Cowan's List

Rob Cowan is an English Music Broadcaster who has reviewed records since 1967 and has worked for or provided reviews for the likes of Boosey & Hawkes, CD Review, Grammphone, the Independent,  BBC Radio 3 (Breakfast, CD Masters, Essential Classics and Sunday Morning), as well as Classic FM.

He is no fool to say the least and has come up with an ingenious idea of rating performance of works by best performer, my only criticism or 2 being that in the version of the book which I have he has listed composers not artists in the index, which makes it somewhat more of a laborious (though of course worthwhile) task to trawl through and identify all occurrences of the artist/performer you are focussing on. Also Rob Cowan does not consistently provide the performance year. Apologies to him if he may have addressed these issues in later printings! (Mine dates from 1997). I have taken the liberty of adding the performance year in the table below where it was missing from the book, as it’s easy enough to find.

 

Sadly in his book Classical 1000 Rob Cowan does not cover violin miniatures, however it is a valuable resource as the opinion of someone who has cross compared hundreds (if not thousands) of renditions of pieces and his final analysis is one which I mostly agree with a few exceptions – the exceptions being renditions he has attributed to other artists (perhaps with Heifetz as a close runner up) where I personally would have rated Heifetz the better performer.

In the table below I have extracted all performances by Heifetz which he has deemed definitive versions:

 

 

CONCERTOS

Composer/Piece	Performance	Details
Bach Violin Concerto No.1 in A minor (BWV1041, 1717-23)	Jascha Heifetz - 1953 Los Angeles Philharmonic/Alfred Wallenstein RCA mono	“great expressivity of tone” (p10)
Mozart Violin Concerto No.5 in A major, “Turkish” (K219, 1775)	Jascha Heifetz - 1963 Chamber Orchestra RCA analogue	“tough, assertive performance with seductively sweet center. Heifetz extracts more expressive potential from a single bar of the Adagio than most other violinists manage for the entire concerto” (p17)
Vieuxtemps Violin Concerto No.5 in A minor (Op. 37, 1861)	Jascha Heifetz – 1961 New Symphony Orchestra of London Sir Malcolm Sargent RCA analogue	“technically brilliant, interpretatively refined” (p22)
Saint-Saëns Introduction and Rondo capriccioso (Op. 28, 1863)	Jascha Heifetz – 1951 RCA Victor Symphony Orchestra William Steinberg	“poised, perfumed, extremely brilliant. Others have approximated its qualities, though none quite equals them” (p23)
Wieniawski Violin Concerto No.2 in D minor (Op. 22, 1862)	Jascha Heifetz – 1954 RCA Victor Symphony Orchestra	“for technical wizardry, tonal allure and sheer style, there’s nothing to touch this particular recording” (p24)
Max Bruch Scottish Fantasy (Op. 46, 1880)	Jascha Heifetz – 1961 New Symphony Orchestra of London Sir Malcolm Sargent RCA analogue	“utterly inimitable for its sweetness, ‘speaking’ eloquence and breathtaking virtuosity. This ranks as the best-ever version” (p25)   I would add that Heifetz transcended in this recording, was apparently moved to tears at the end, and the orchestra was composed of high-calibre soloists such as Campoli and others who rushed to volunteer from all over Europe
Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto in D minor (Op. 35, 1878)	Jascha Heifetz – 1957 Chicago Symphony Orchestra Fritz Reiner RCA analogue	“Subtly expressive” (p26)
Glazunov Violin Concerto in A minor (Op. 82, 1904)	Jascha Heifetz – 1934 London Philharmonic Orchestra Sir John Barbirolli Pearl analogue	“his lean, sweet tone and lightning inflexions are hard to better advantage” (p27)   I would add that Heifetz met the composer whilst at the St Petersburg conservatoire and so had a direct link to the work
Sibelius Violin Concerto in D minor (Op. 47 1903-5)	Jascha Heifetz – 1959 Chicago Symphony Orchestra Walter Hendl RCA analogue	“a tone of molten silver Heifetz provides what is probably the most focussed interpretation the work has ever had” (p29)
Prokofiev Violin Concerto No. 2 in G minor (Op. 63, 1935)	Jascha Heifetz – 1959 Boston Symphony Orchestra Charles Munch RCA analogue	“the sweetest, freshest and most poignant ‘Prok 2’ on disc” (p35)
Korngold Violin Concerto (Op. 35, 1945)	Jascha Heifetz – 1949 Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra Alfred Wallenstein RCA mono	“delighted to have my Concerto performed by Caruso and Paganini in one person: Jascha Heifetz” (p35)
Walton Violin Concerto in B minor (1938-43)	Jascha Heifetz – 1939 Philharmonia Orchestra Sir William Walton RCA mono	“Jascha Heifetz commissioned the Walton Concerto. His, it should be said, is a benchmark interpretation” (p37)

 

As a general rule later recordings are rated higher than earlier, which shows Heifetz’ evolving genius over time up to well into his 60s and beyond. With the notable exception of the Glazunov where Rob Cowan rates the 1934 performance above the later 1962 recording

 

CHAMBER WORKS

Composer/Piece	Performance	Details
Mozart Violin Sonata No. 32 in Bb major (K454, 1784)	Jascha Heifetz - 1953 Brooks Smith (piano) RCA mono	“features some of the most stylish classical fiddle-playing on disc” (p134)
Beethoven Violin Sonata No. 5 in F major “Spring” (Op. 24, 1801)	Jascha Heifetz - 1952 Emmanuel Bay (piano) RCA mono	“ ’speaking’ tone. Violinistically, you’d be hard put to beat this performance” (p135)
Debussy Violin Sonata (1916-17)	Jascha Heifetz - 1952 Emmanuel Bay (piano) RCA mono	“achingly beautiful tone, sophisticated phrasing. There’s no-one to touch him” (p138)
Mozart Divertimentio for string trio in Eb major (K563, 1788)	Jascha Heifetz - 1941 William Primrose (viola) Emmanuel Feuermann (cello) RCA mono	“featuring string playing that has never been equalled” (p139)
Tchaikovsky Piano Trio in A minor (Op. 50, 1881-82)	Jascha Heifetz - 1950 Gregor Piatigorsky (cello) Arthur Rubinstein (piano) RCA mono	“the ‘million dollar trio’ produces a lustrous pooled string tone” (p142)
Dvořák Piano Trio in F minor (Op. 65, 1883)	Jascha Heifetz - 1963 Gregor Piatigorsky (cello) Leonard Pennario (piano) RCA analogue	“emotionally intense and unfailingly lyrical” (p142)
Ravel Piano Trio in A minor (1914)	Jascha Heifetz - 1950 Gregor Piatigorsky (cello) Arthur Rubinstein (piano) RCA mono	“Heifetz’ playing suits Ravel’s finely-sculpted style” (p143)
Mendelssohn Octet for strings (1825)	Jascha Heifetz - 1961 Together with Baker, Belnick, Stepansky, Primrose, Majewski, Piatigorsky, Rejto RCA analogue	“string virtuosity without peer. I challenge you to resist!” (p161)
Brahms String Sextet No. 2 in G major (Op. 36, 1864-65)	Jascha Heifetz - 1961 Together with Baker, Belnick, Stepansky, Primrose, Majewski, Piatigorsky, Rejto RCA analogue	“Heifetz’ unmistakable ‘speaking’ tone sets the mood. No stereo rival is in quite the same class” (p163)

 

INSTRUMENTAL SOLO

Composer/Piece	Performance	Details
Bach Violin Sonata No. 3 in C major (BWV1005, 1720)	Jascha Heifetz - 1953RCA mono	“Heifetz rendition is special even by his own exacting standards. Utterly magnificent. A violinist’s benchmark” (p174)

 

Some I would Also Include  

(Still working on this list!)

Mendelssohn p20

Brahms

Vieuxtemps 4

Louis Spohr no. 8

Moto perpetuo

Daisies rachmaninof

The girl with the flaxen hair

Wellenspiel

Ave maria

Max Bruch p25 > RHYTHM!

Chausson Poeme p26

Frank Sonata p136

Beethoven concerto

Mozart sonata