Conus Violin Concerto - Jascha Heifetz

[@alexsaldarriaga8318]

Can't understand the three thumbs down on this. They must be kidding! This is superhuman playing. Heifetz has elevated a beautifully crafted "student" concerto to the pinnacle of high art. I feel that Heifetz is winking at us violinists and tacitly saying, "this one's for you." Only those of us who have spent a lifetime scraping away at the four stings, desperately trying to wring out a few nuggets of sonic gold, can appreciate with immense gratitude and awe what Mr. Heifetz has generously given us.

[@senberga88]

Alex Saldarriaga this was never a student concerto

[@senberga88]

But youre completely right

[@willyfernandez2013]

Alex Saldarriaga mm I u. Tvt

[@jbguadaplayer]

The only reason for the thumbs down would be for the music itself. Of course you must have noticed that there are always those who give a thumb down just for the "fun" of it.

[@musclegeek]

The 3 thumbs down likely were attempting to download the piece.

[@TAP7a]

Something I always love about Heifetz is that as much as his tone, and his accuracy in both rhythm and pitch, is perfect, he was unafraid of the "uglier" sounds on the violin. He was fully prepared to not only allow but deliberately use a bit of crunch, a bit of breathiness, and sounding of shifts to add to a performance. Makes it superhumanly human.

[@judyeaton1039]

Yes, My teacher Israel Baker said that up close he would sound a bit scratchy but you get back and it dissipates, no hint of it. It was part of that magic ability of projection. I was in top balcony of Dorothy Chandler Pavilion when he gave a concert and the sound was penetrating like no other artist - like soared to the heavens. Such a magical experience.

[@망히-z9z]

@judyeaton1039 Dear Judy were you in the Heifetz master class around 1975 in LA?

[@stephenmissal8260]

Yes, very, very astute observation. Heifetz is, as far as I have ever listened to, the only violinist to truly utilize all of these sound resources of the violin. Everyone else is mostly busy producing lovely, but sometimes boring, sound.

[@arindo]

Itzhak Perlman said this was his favorite recording of a performance in a very recent interview. That is what brought me here. This is supreme!

[@arashtavassoli]

arin dogan The interesting point is that Perlman also has played this piece but he doesn't say his own recording. I think he acknowledges some shortcomings in his recording than this one.

[@Mj-kl3rb]

Actually, the question was about a recording from other artists not him, that's why he couldn't have chosen himself. When asked about which recording of his he was most proud of he said all of them lol

[@roadwarrior1981]

In an interview many years ago, Perlman talked about sneaking in to see him play the Conus.

[@lifeontheledgerlines8394]

@@roadwarrior1981 Can I find that on KZbin? Any links?

[@pauliethemushroomman]

Same!

[@warlord2010]

Magnificent! I heard Heifetz play in Milwaukee as a young man. He had no equal.

[@hassaanahmed23]

How lucky !

[@stepaushi]

Immaculate intonation. And I mean not just the pitches themselves but also the perfect placement of the vibrato around the note.

[@leonardoiglesias2394]

Like Szeryng and Björling.

[@punchaloo]

I COMPLETELY know what you mean. Heifetz never lets you down in a sense - It's always clean, in tune, eccentric, etc... But this recording is that and much more... I don't think any other recording of the Conus matches this one.

[@망히-z9z]

I have not seen any violinist have the bow grip same as Heifetz. Heifetz hold the bow very firm with his index finger to produce clean tone with 2 pure gut strings (A,D) he use . That's why Heifetz tone is so unique. I took lessons this Conus concerto from Heifetz, he was 74 years old.

[@manfred4766]

russian bow grip like taught by Auer.

[@abrahamherrera4573]

Tbh the russian bow grip is not the best one

[@망히-z9z]

@@abrahamherrera4573 You are right.

[@srinitaaigaura]

It's not firm. There was plenty of finger flexibility on it. He held it that way since he was a child, even before he met Auer. So it must have been taught that way in Russia and maybe his hand was anatomically formed to naturally hold it that way. Elman also held it that way. Auer was not actually firm on bow holds.

[@leonardoiglesias2394]

Dont care about position or grip…care ONLY at the work the bow has to do. Hands are all different.

[@jonathanrossi4804]

Heifetz was mostly concerned with two factors: excitement and color. he injects this into almost all of his performances. This performance shows this to the highest degree possible. Janos Starker also said this was his favorite Heifetz recording because he was able to elevate a decently written but mediocre concerto to that of a great masterwork.This is also why I have listened to the recording hundreds of times and still am not tired of it.

[@leonardoiglesias2394]

Like Beatles doing Long Tall Sally.

[@ethanhu9476]

@@leonardoiglesias2394 exactly!

[@steveegallo3384]

"Excitement & Color".....same for Piano with Horowitz..........BRAVO from Acapulco!

[@JAMESLEVEE]

This recording is from 1952. The RCA Symphony Orchestra is conducted by Izler Solomon. The concerto is in a single movement, with 3 main subdivisions, a solo cadenza and coda. There are, however, numerous tempo changes within the subdivisions, particularly the first and last. The 3 main sections are: I. Allegro molto - Andante espressivo II. Adagio III. Andante espressivo - poco più moderato quale Tempo I - Cadenza - Allegro subito

[@frankwalker5040]

Heifetz has the most beautiful vibrato and sound in history.

[@leonardoiglesias2394]

And Szeryng.

[@gsm2424]

Beautyful violin concerto and godlike violin playing

[@elenapetrova77205]

Гениально! Потрясающе! Божественно!

[@solveiglandvikbrg9103]

Très beau ! Un vrai petit bijou 💎 méconnu et brillamment interprété ici par un Grand du violon ! 🎻 🥰

[@osmarmayoral3996]

I know that oftentimes not so good things are written about humanity, but there are times we hear & reaffirm our place as part angels. Thanks Heifetz for allowing this to happen !!!

[@JenaTuckerAquariums]

Thank you for uploading this. My daughter and I are going to our first symphony in March. This will be played. I am educating myself on the music we will be hearing. Thanks

[@Amourtendresse]

Fantastique! Enregistré en 1952 ? C'est incroyable de beauté. 🎶💓🎶✨

[@paulharris3000]

No string player need seek farther than this performance for inspiration to find the very best in himself!

[@leonardoiglesias2394]

You need someone else. Because he is extremely personal. Its better to learn to play as Szeryng.

[@violinesurseine845]

Thank you very much You could add Jean- Marie Leclair to your list .. YES. HEIFETZ IS A SUBLIM ARTIST & VIOLINIST. And he plays Conus cto with all his heart ans soul. It's absolutely admirable, " époustouflant " , impressiv, Lovely !! Conus' concerto ( which remains me a bit Vieuxtemps 5th cto ) is quite rich and original , more than it seems at the introduction 's beginning

[@manfred4766]

you did a great job by writing this chronology of composers and soloists !

[@michellebellego3141]

Thank you very much for your fascinating cultural explanation. I have always admired the elegance of the interpretations of Jasha Heifetz, so it remains for me to add an entry with you in his intimate emotion. So, we always learn more deeply at any age.

[@HayeonyouVn.]

Beautiful❤

[@raphaelklayman6068]

A human being can't play like this. No one had the nerve to tell that to Mr. Heifetz! If Heifetz had composed his own concerto for his own use he could not have come up with something better than this; it's so tailor-made for him.

[@senberga88]

Raphael Klayman He wouldve composed something more magnificent than sibelius

[@singhjackson2698]

No, I doubt that. I think Heifetz was mainly a violinist instead of a violin composer although he had made some improvisations on certain pieces. Most people considered him as the best modern violinists because of his skills, not his musical works.

[@klop4228]

Yeah, it takes a different kind of skill to write music than to play it. I doubt he'd have done that well writing a concerto, at least on his first try.

[@manfred4766]

you are not quite correct. Who was it, who told him, to play at least one wrong note so you could consider him human. Was it Bernhard Shaw ?

[@nicolotar]

Out of this Realm , Why do you do this to us Mr. Heifetz ?? by the way, this is Mr. Perlman's favorite performance

[@twilightworld398]

a very nice recording piece, thanks!

[@Pisces3139]

genius.....

[@xavierbordes1373]

Heifetz ou la perfection musicale inégalée... bouleversante ! Précisons que le compositeur est Julius Conus, fils du pianiste.

[@lauracastelli9794]

sublime

[@harryandruschak2843]

Oddly enough, this is the first time I have listened to this concerto. Not played or broadcast much in Los Angeles

[@lifeontheledgerlines8394]

Not in Boston, either.

[@kraussthecat8738]

Hi from Ukraine, mr. Andruschak. I'm sure, that it was rarely played at all

[@jefflubin5763]

I don't understand how a mere mortal can play like this.

[@cgb01]

Perfect

[@HPGvideos2007]

THIS IS JASCHA HEIFETZ IN HIS BEST FORM. MARVELOUS!!! YES, I SUSCRIBED ME TO THIS FANTASTISCH SITE. BRAVO!!!

[@hugod2000]

a truly great recording

[@scuunjieng]

Many thanks for posting this.

[@fredericpelassy527]

Il était sur une autre planète...

[@MrInterestingthings]

I did like this concerto more on 2nd listen very late Romantic like Korngold but still interesting ! Heifetz is marvelous here .Looked at list of composer-violinists and it had many names I know but never read that they studied violin certainly didn't have careers as violinists . Dutilleux and Rochberg wrote marvelous concertiPaderewsky and Moskowsky and many others a great surprise.

[@judyeaton1039]

I printed your notes. Have to ck to see if I have Rabin's recording of this. Have many of his recordings. He died way too young -sad. One of my idols as a teen. I have a little clip that I got from Israel Baker, my teacher, but it is on large reel-to-real of Heifetz chamber members recording session. My parents got rid of that machine when I left home. I should try to have reproduced on CDs.

[@pollebreton6922]

Tout simplement incroyable.

[@anofdealk3242]

11:06

[@novagerio]

When did you ever hear Heifetz play without a beautiful sound? I'm just curious.

[@hugod2000]

brilliant

[@ppj1121]

Very good 👍

[@mvictoriab8407]

God

[@mihaimangir]

Yeah...

[@juliabushkova]

1. There is a pseudo-elitist notion that this concerto is second-rate or a "student" concerto - a bunch of nonsense if one understands anything about anything of music, music-writing, and writing for the violin in particular. 2. No concerto played poorly will sound good. 3. Heifetz had good taste. That's why he chose to learn, perform, and record Conus. Let's learn from the Maestro. 4. In my native Russia, this concerto also had a label of a "student" concerto. I refuse to stand by the musical shortsightedness of such a label.

[@ravelmeister]

Agreed, this is a great piece with beautiful writing and lots of passion.

[@solowcello]

Gregor Piatigorsky used to say that "there are two kinds of music; music that is better than you are and music that you can play better than it is." The Conus is certainly the second kind but in Heifetz's hands it is elevated and transformed into great art. My sense is that if you hear his performance of this concerto before anyone else's you will always have a warm feeling for it -- I know I do. Unfortunately he has pretty much spoiled it for all other violinists because no one else can measure up...

[@duggiefresh8170]

Well said, professor.

[@mariaegorova7733]

@@solowcello 👏🏻

[@myrnaadamone4378]

“Student Concerto” ??? So are the concerto by Bach, Vivaldi and Mozart…

[@DavidSmith-kc4hz]

Having heard Heifetz in this so many times, it must be said that there is no equal in his playing and is streets ahead of his rivals. Just listen to his warm and ever changing tonal beauty. His spiccato,, as usual, is so crisp. The Adagio is ravishing in thought-provoking mastery.

[@Berlinchesmusic]

I agree

[@samuelkohler288]

SUPERMAN!!!!

[@loschicosdel0472]

Gruenberg's and tedesco's violin concerto are also very good

[@lifeontheledgerlines8394]

I'll need to check them out.

[@Berlinchesmusic]

👌 👌 👌

[@stefanobelingheri1909]

impareggiabile....

[@fernansolos]

Great list! Maybe add Joseph Boulogne Chavalier de Saint Georges?

[@manfred4766]

are you sure about Rolla. Since Paganini and his father went to him and wanted him to teach Nicolò. So I expected him to be older that Paganini. You mean Alexander Rolla ?

[@heathervarious8205]

A revelation!

[@cgb01]

Increíble se queda corto

[@taliareinhert1005]

Mr Heifetz is SUperman... .for ever......sinti gypsy germany

[@recorder38]

Like x 10

[@rafetyikilmaz4455]

Ithzak perlman brought me

[@SeongJin_Baek]

1:47 2:47 1:47 2:47

[@brianknapp8645]

What is the composer's first name? I don't see it in the description or in any of the comments.

[@timothytan3882]

Julius Conus

[@solowcello]

Julius

[@josephtravers6721]

Never popular. Heifitz kept it alive for years. He also saved the Scottish Fantasy by Bruch, the Walton, and the Korngold concertos.

[@loschicosdel0472]

Increíble

[@borjasaez620]

Never heard before, beautyful, and Jascha really expressivo! This first theme reminds me Tchaikovsky, when the orchestra enters the tutti :-)As im listening to it, im gratefully surprised with the virtuosity and expresivity. Its not easy to play! Can anybody send me the cadenza sheets?

[@lifeontheledgerlines8394]

ks.imslp.net/files/imglnks/usimg/3/3d/IMSLP238574-PMLP32052-Conus_Concierto_Violin_Solo.pdf

[@rivieracabral8080]

relAcharmentoAA

[@davydyasinskyi5154]

0:46

[@SurgeryNSH]

진짜 놀랍다

[@presbyterosBassI]

This piece needs a soloist of the caliber of Heifetz or Perlman, because it just isn't very good. I heard it with a student orchestra the other night, and came here to see if it was a better piece than I thought. Nope. Heifetz almost convinces you, though.

[@juliabushkova]

1. There is this pseudo-elitist notion that this concerto is second rate or "student" concerto - a bunch of nonsense if one understands anything about anything of music and writing for the violin. 2. No concerto played poorly will sound good. 3. Heifetz had good taste. That's why he chose to learn, perform, and record Conus.

[@klop4228]

@@juliabushkova That said, a bad piece can sound considerably better if performed by a good performer. Some pieces need very little work put into them to make them sound good - Bach's music, Mozart's music, Beethoven's. And I don't mean technical work, I mean musical work. I can't say that I love the piece, nor that I hate it. I think this performance of it s very good though, and I think the piece is decent. But I can't say it stands up to the likes of the Bruch or the Elgar or the Brahms, or whatever other ones one might call the 'proper' ones, at least to me.

[@Kaylaa23]

I don't understand why this concerto is not more popular, or why people don't think it's good. I actually like it better than Sibelius.

[@cornel999]

i guess if you don't like it, you don't like it. but i would hate to go through life being the kind of person that thinks this beautiful piece sucks. must be a really boring life. certainly this Heifetz version is the reference recording for all time, but there are actually a number of really good performances of this besides by people named Heifetz. Rabin, for instance.